Robotech Warriors: Book 1
by thunderbird
Summary: A joint operation between Chibi Halo and myself. what would happen if the sailor scouts joined the RDF? Find out here! On hold until I can both fix and get in contact with Chibi Halo! Also found under Chibi Halo's name!
1. Part 1

Disclaimer: I do not now or have I ever owned the characters of Sailor Moon, Robotech. The only character here that I own is that of Lieutenant Michael Hefner please don't steal him, as he is my brother's name. People I want to say something about Miss Lynn Minmei. I don't like her. I like the Rick/Lisa romance and Minmei just gets in the way. So if you like her don't read this, however, if you want to see a new bitchy side to Minmei please enjoy! At first she'll be nice until the Miss Macross pageant then watch out people Rick will leave her in the dust for Lisa don't worry I slowly bring Rick and Lisa together. Again I want to thank Chibi Halo who wrote 'Sailor Moon Macross' without this story wouldn't have existed. As always please R&R this so I know how it is coming across to people! Chibi Halo I would like to know what you think as well! Chibi Halo there might be a few scenes in my story but I pray you won't mind. One more thing for the beginning of the first few chapters I will use your chapter names, I will come up with my own after the last chapter you named. People who haven't read her story yet please do it is a great read! Please enjoy and now on with the story! This is the only Disclaimer I will write! I just want to thank Chibi Halo for being my beta reader!  
  
Robotech Warriors Book 1 By thunderbird with Sections From Chibi Halo  
  
In the year 1999 an alien spacecraft entered Earth's atmosphere, which crash-landed on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Governments all around the world sent scientist and military officials to study the large object. The military commanders and scientist upon entering the ship found the interior to be large this meant that the aliens were large themselves. While this was going on halfway around the globe the Middle East was rocked by conflict which soon became a war which was all centered around Kuwait. Sometime later the war ended and the world once again turned its attention back to the alien craft. One year later the ASS1 as it was referred to, was slowly rebuilt. The scientist along with the direction of the military leaders formed the group known as OTECH. Their job was to study and build weapons using both human and alien technology, which they would use to protect Earth from hostile alien forces. A few months later the entire world saw the need for peace so they formed one government. They called this government, The United Earth Government. Two years later while the rebuilding of the ship was taking place another ordeal occurred. A dispute involving Iraq and their not wanting to remain in the union broke out. What happened next can only be described as WWIII. In the year 2003, with the help of the country of The USA, Iraq finally conceited and joined the Union government. Out of this mayhem the global military decided to form The Robotech Defense Force or the RDF for short. This new branch of the military was to police and patrol the globe, however, if an alien force attacked the Earth the RDF would step in and defend us with their lives. Another part of the RDF military force was research and development. Headed by one Kenji Tuskino who was once a captain in the Japanese army he is now one of the RDF's most decorated military officers. His job was to over see the completion of plans then build the new Veritech fighter plane, which would be the first line of defense against all Earth's enemies. The ASS1 now renamed the Super Dimensional Space Fortress 1 or SDF1 was to be the flagship of the RDF fleet. After eight years of planning and building and rebuilding the RDF had it's fleet and flagship now all it needed was a strong force to pilot that fleet and to do that the RDF needed to recruit strong new people to fight for our world.  
  
*****  
  
Chapter 1: Veritech 101  
  
*****  
  
In the year 2007 years after the SDF1 crashed the RDF came to Tokyo, Japan looking for strong up and coming solders that want a job in the military. For the students at Juuban High who were in their last year this meant the way out of their neighborhood. For one girl this would mean the first day of the rest of her life. Serena Tuskino who had just turned 19 years old and just graduated from school was walking down the road when she came across an office building with a tall man standing in a new type of uniform standing in front of it.  
  
"Excuse me sir but what branch of the military are you from?" Serena asked him.  
  
"Ah miss I work for the RDF and we are looking for new solders to take up arms and join our ranks!" he told her.  
  
"The RDF! My father's a captain in the RDF! Tell me when is the recruiting to occur?" she asked.  
  
"Tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. What is your last name maybe I know your father!" He asked.  
  
"Tuskino! I am glad to meet you I'll be glad to join up! I've heard they've been building new types of planes! I'd really like to fly one!" Serena said.  
  
"Ah yes captain Tuskino well he is well known in the RDF and yes we did create a new plane called the Veritech fighter. Well then come on by tomorrow then and we'll set you up ma'am!" he told her.  
  
"Thanks I will! Good bye sir!" Serena said walking off.  
  
In the distance a shadow was watching the whole scene take place. After watching Serena walk off the person in the shadow walked up to the military man. "Um excuse me sir but might I ask what that girl was asking you?" the person asked.  
  
"Oh why yes she wanted to know what branch of the military I was from and if I knew her father. I told her I belonged to the RDF and that her father was the man behind our new type of plane. She's going to come back here in the morning to sign up to be a pilot!" he told the person.  
  
"What her father is in the military?" the person asked.  
  
"Yes ma'am he is a captain! Now if you don't mind I have to tell those who wish to join up the time to arrive tomorrow." He said.  
  
"Oh yes sorry thanks for the info! Oh before I go what time is the recruiting going to start?" the person asked.  
  
"Tomorrow at 9:00 a.m." he told the person. With that the person ran off to find her friends.  
  
******  
  
Later that afternoon at the home of Serena's family. She had just arrived and was very exited about the prospect of someday in the near future flying a plane and protecting the world from giant aliens.  
  
"Serena honey is that you?" her mother called from the kitchen.  
  
"Yes ma'am it's me! Hey mom I need to speak to you about something!" Serena called out.  
  
Just then Sammy runs out of the living room totally exited about something too. "Man mom you have got to see this their unveiling those new Veritech fighters that dad helped build!" he said.  
  
"Now Sammy calm down and let's go see these new planes before you have a heart attack!" their mother said laughing.  
  
As they entered the living room both Serena and Sammy sat on the floor as Irene sat on the couch. As they saw on the TV. set a large plane got a large tarp pulled off from the top of it.  
  
"My word that is a big plane!" Serena said whistling.  
  
"What are you whistling at meatball head?" Sammy asked laughing.  
  
"I'm whistling cause I can just imagine sitting behind on of those planes and flying it!" she said grinning at him.  
  
"Yeah right you behind that!" He laughed out.  
  
"Sammy that is enough! Now Serena what is it you wanted to tell me?" Irene asked.  
  
"I went passed a recruiting station today for the RDF and I decided to join up in Aviation thank you very much!" she said the last part looking at her little brother.  
  
"What did I hear my little girl say she wants to join up with the RDF as a fighter pilot?" Kenji Tuskino asked coming through the door.  
  
"DAD! When did you get in?" Serena asked exited to see him.  
  
"Oh just a few minutes ago! So is it true?" he asked smiling down at her.  
  
"Yes dad! Is that okay with you guys?" she asked her parents.  
  
"No come on why? She can't even walk right why let her join the military?" Sammy asked.  
  
"Sammy Tuskino that's it go to your room! I've already told you to stop today!" Irene scolded him.  
  
"MAN!" Sammy said storming off.  
  
"Well?" Serena pleaded.  
  
"Yes Serena you may!" he parents both said smiling at her. After they said that Serena ran upstairs to go to bed so she could be up bright and early tomorrow.  
  
"Serena why the hurry?" her parents asked.  
  
"I need to be up at eight o' clock in order to be at the recruiting station by nine! I'm going to grow up for a change night mom, night dad, good night to you too Sammy!" Serena said before running to her room and shutting the door.  
  
"Ha Serena grow up I doubt it!" Sammy said laughing sitting on the top step of the stairs.  
  
"Sammy that is quite enough young man! Your sister is actually trying to show she can grow up by making a very grown up decision. I wonder what you'll do when it comes time to decide what it is you want to do after high school? Because right now you joking about Serena wanting to join the military is very childish!" Kenji glared at his young son.  
  
"Yes Sammy for once your sister isn't crying or Klutzing out. I am very proud of her decision to do something positive with her life. It makes me wonder what her friends would think if they knew what she wanted to do with her life? As for you go to your room it is still early for bed yes but you will think about what you were just told do you understand?" Irene scolded her son.  
  
"Darn it! Yes ma'am!" Sammy said running off to his room and closing the door behind him.  
  
"I hope Serena will be okay Kenji!" Irene said.  
  
"Irene we have some of the best flight trainers out there she'll be just fine and just wait and see she'll probably be one of their best damn pilots there too!" He said with a smile on his face as he held his wife in his arms while looking towards the top of the stairs where his daughter now slept.  
  
Meanwhile up stairs Serena was laying in her bed thinking about tomorrow morning while allowing sleep to come over her when her cat came through the window.  
  
"Serena in bed already?" Luna asked.  
  
"Luna answer something for me please!" Serena told her.  
  
"If I can!" Luna said with a look that said 'What is it this time?'  
  
"Okay since the Negaverse is gone are we needed here in Tokyo at this point in time?" Serena asked.  
  
"Well I guess not! Serena why are you asking me that?" Luna asked worried.  
  
"Luna I know some day I'll rule the Earth along side Darien, however, for now I need to do something that will help me to become responsible some more!" Serena said whole-heartedly.  
  
"Serena what are you up to?" Luna asked.  
  
"Luna I plan on joining the military!" Serena said closing her eyes again.  
  
"Wow Serena you've really thought this out haven't you? What are you going to do?" Luna asked looking very proud of her charge.  
  
"Aviation! I want to be a pilot in the RDF military force." Serena said finally falling into a deep sleep.  
  
"Good night Serena and don't fret I shall always keep a close watch over you princess!" Luna said letting herself fall asleep.  
  
******  
  
Elsewhere at the Cherry Hill Temple the Sailor Scouts save Serena were having a meeting to discuss what one of them had seen. "Okay Rei so spill what did you want to tell us?" Lita asked.  
  
"Yes and why isn't Serena here yet?" Amara asked looking around for her.  
  
"Okay first off I didn't call Serena to this meeting because this meeting concerns her! Second she will be leaving us soon!" Rei said looking towards Darien while she said the second part.  
  
"What why would she want to leave?" Darien said looking towards the floor.  
  
"Darien relax! You'd be very proud of the reason she is leaving! Heck even I am! I think I may go to, however, I don't know what I'd do when I got where she's going!" Rei said laughing.  
  
"Okay girl spill and what the heck is so funny?" Mina asked.  
  
"Okay did any of you know Serena's father is in the military?" Rei asked.  
  
"Yeah I did! Why?" Amy asked looking up from her book.  
  
"Well it turns out our little Serena's fathers branch of the military is here in Tokyo looking for new recruits! Guess where Serena's going tomorrow morning all by her self?" Rei asked with a smile.  
  
"You're kidding!" Amy asked shocked dropping her book to the floor.  
  
"What?" Lita asked staring from both Amy to Rei.  
  
"Rei are you sure?" Darien asked getting up.  
  
"Yep sure am! Serena is going to join the RDF tomorrow morning!" Rei said.  
  
"Wait don't they have those cool planes?" Amara asked.  
  
"And what do you suppose she wants to do huh?" Rei asked.  
  
"She wants to fly?" Michelle asked.  
  
"Sure does! So what are we going to do?" Rei asked.  
  
"Well I don't know about you but this is a good experience I'm joining so I can fly!" Amara said getting up to leave.  
  
"Yeah but I don't want to fly Amara!" Michelle said getting up to join her.  
  
"You guys hold on! First you can do what ever! Second if we do this be there at nine in the morning okay?" Rei asked.  
  
"Sure!" the other said in unison.  
  
"Rei so what could we do?" Mina asked.  
  
"Let's find out tomorrow okay?" Rei asked following her friends out the door.  
  
"Sure!" She said running off.  
  
"Thanks Rei for telling me!" Darien said heading out the door.  
  
"Your welcome Darien! So what are you going to do?" she asked.  
  
"Oh Rei do you really have to ask?" He asked with a grin.  
  
"Oh you'll do anything to be near her huh?" Rei asked with a smile.  
  
"Sure would! Night Rei see you in the morning don't be late cause for once I don't think Serena will!" He said with a wave over his shoulder.  
  
"Night! Well guess Darien's right better get some sleep I have a long day ahead of me." Rei said as she too headed off towards her own bed.  
  
******  
  
The next morning as Serena stood before the recruiting station she double- checked to make sure she looked presentable. "So Luna do I look okay?" Serena asked pushing down her skirt.  
  
"Serena are you nervous because you look just fine!" Luna asked looking up at her charge.  
  
"I guess a little!" Serena said, "Well this is it Luna come on let's start the first day of my new life!" Serena said walking up and into the building followed behind by her guardian.  
  
Inside Serena and Luna looked around the room. On one side there were tables and chairs set up so the recruiters could interview the hopeful candidates. On another was an area where people sat to allow them to fill out what looked like packets or something else they weren't sure but they would find out soon. Upon catching her breath Serena knew it was time so taking one more breath she stepped forward to one of the large tables where a tall looking solder was seated and sat down.  
  
"Good morning young lady may I have your name please?" he asked in a kind voice as to not scare her off.  
  
"Yes sir! My name is Serena Tuskino!" Serena said with a relaxing breath.  
  
"That's right just relax I'm not here to scare you Serena!" he told her.  
  
"Now my name is Lieutenant Hefner! Now please tell me the reason for you wanting to join us here in the RDF?" He asked Serena.  
  
"I want to learn to be part of a team and to grow up more! I think the RDF can help me do this! I already know what a team player means, however, I need to see if I can learn more in a new environment. That and kick alien butt!" Serena said with a smile.  
  
"I see well we can sure help with that! I can also tell you we could use you here too!" he said.  
  
"Now let's see here do you know what will be expected of you if we take you?" He asked.  
  
"Yes sir and I'm willing to do what every I'm ordered to do sir!" Serena told him.  
  
"Very good attitude Miss Tuskino! We could use more like you here most definitely! Okay now before we let you in you must pass the standard test! Do you think you're ready?" he asked.  
  
"Yes sir!" she said.  
  
"Good! Now what new skill or placement are you looking for?" Lt. Hefner asked her.  
  
"Aviation sir! I want to fly a plane!" Serena informed him.  
  
"Do you even know how to fly one?"  
  
"No sir but I am willing to learn!" she said whole-heartedly.  
  
"Very good that's exactly what we want to hear, people willing to try new things. Now like I said before you will need to pass a test and this is it! Take this and go sit over in one of those seats and fill this out alright and when your finished just bring it back to me please!" he said handing her the test.  
  
After Serena took the test she looked it over as Luna rubbed up against her leg letting her know she would do just fine. Lt. Hefner saw Serena look down towards her legs and looked under the table to see Luna by her legs. "Um excuse me miss Tuskino did you know your cat is not really suppose to be in here and why is there a crescent moon on her head?" he asked trying to be polite.  
  
"Oh sorry! I didn't know she is just trying to play and follows me everywhere. Also no I don't she's always had that there ever since I've had her." Serena covered.  
  
"Oh well just be sure to take her with you when you leave alright?" He said.  
  
After Serena got up to go sit where she was told to go seven more people came up to Lt. Hefner. The first one after Serena said she wanted to be a doctor. The second one wasn't certain what she wanted to do but she wanted to help defend the world. The third one was pretty much like the second one but like Serena she was an odd lot. She too had a cat with her only this one was white and like Serena's cat he had a crescent moon on his head as well. Lt. Hefner thought this was quite odd. The next individual Hefner saw was confused out of her mind. She wanted to be a pilot yet she didn't want to get within ten feet of an airplane. The good Lieutenant told her they would be able to help her get over her fear. The fifth and sixth ones came in together. One wanted to be a pilot and the other wanted to work on the bridge. They both hopped they would be assigned to the same detail. The last one was the only male Hefner saw all morning. He was older than the others were and he too wanted to be a pilot. Hefner thought his group of recruits all needed to be sent to Macross City for the intense course. He'd personally see to that.  
  
******  
  
The next day at the Tuskino house there came a knock at the door. Kenji answered the door.  
  
"May I help you?" he asked.  
  
"Sir is there a Miss Serena Tuskino living here?" the postman asked.  
  
"Yes she is my daughter can I ask what this is for?" Kenji asked the man.  
  
"Yes sir! Um Last night we received orders to deliver this letter to your daughter as they told us she was one of the first one's to be accepted into the RDF military and I'm to give her, her orders." The postman told Kenji.  
  
"Oh thank you so much I'm sure she'll be thrilled!" Kenji told him as he took the letter from the postman and shut the door.  
  
"Kenji who was that?" Irene asked coming into the living room from the kitchen.  
  
"Well honey our baby is now a member of the RDF!" He said smiling at her.  
  
"What oh that's just wonder full! Serena please come down here for a moment!" Irene called up the stairs.  
  
"Yes ma'am!" Serena said coming down the stairs followed shortly by Sammy.  
  
"What is it mom, dad?" Serena asked.  
  
"Yeah is she in trouble?" Sammy asked smiling.  
  
"No Sammy your sister isn't in trouble. Serena this is for you!" Kenji said handing her the envelope.  
  
As Serena took the letter she carefully read the front of it, 'From the office of the RDF'  
  
"Oh wow it's already here?" she said looking at her father who just smiled at her.  
  
"What? What's here?" Sammy asked confused.  
  
"Serena why don't you open up the letter and read it out loud for your brother to hear this okay?" her mother said with a grin.  
  
"Okay!" Serena said as she opened up the letter and read the following:  
  
Miss Serena Usagi Tuskino  
  
I have gone over your test scores and found you to be an exceptional young woman. We here at the RDF would love for you to join us in our mission to protect this planet of ours. Your willingness to learn new skills and to want to fly one of our new fighter planes the Veritech is very pleasing to us so on behalf of all of the high command here in Capitol City! May I welcome you to the military Corporal Tuskino. Also please be ready to ship out tomorrow a military transport will be leaving from the airport of Tokyo Japan tomorrow afternoon headed for California, USA where you will board a boat bound for Macross island. See you along with all the other recruits in one week.  
  
Signed,  
  
Admiral Hayes  
  
"That is just so great I'm in yes!" Serena said.  
  
"Oh man now I can't pick on you no more!" Sammy said.  
  
"That's right son you can't! Now Serena go upstairs and pack!" Irene said to her daughter.  
  
"Serena just pack pants and shirts! You'll be able to buy new dresses once you start getting paid!" Kenji told his oldest child.  
  
"She gets paid too?" Sammy said looking dumbstruck.  
  
"Well how do you think you eat our looks?" Irene asked.  
  
"Dad, mom I think I'll get a hair cut too! I mean if I'm right my hair as it is now won't fit under a helmet right?" Serena asked holding one of her ponytails.  
  
"Oh my baby's growing up!" Irene cried.  
  
"That is a very grown up decision Serena yes you'll probably want to cut it! But as to how short I'm not sure?" Kenji said.  
  
"Oh I'm going to cut it up to my shoulders! Is that alright?" Serena asked her parents.  
  
"Yes Serena that's just fine. Tell you what you go cut your hair and we'll pack up the stuff you'll need okay?" Irene asked.  
  
"Sure mom thanks see ya soon!" Serena said walking out the door to the first step of her life.  
  
******  
  
Elsewhere that afternoon at the Cheery Hill Temple the others had already received their acceptance letters and were talking about the details about the days to follow. Luna came up to the temple and saw the others talking. "Hello scouts how are you all doing today?" Luna asked looking a little sad.  
  
"We're fine! Hey Luna why the long face?" Rei asked.  
  
"Well Serena and I won't be seeing you for a long time so I'm here to give you all a message!" she told them.  
  
"Oh and what is that Luna?" Amy asked.  
  
"Serena says that this is something she wants and needs to do and she loves you all! Darien she told me to tell you that she isn't breaking up with you she just needs this time to grow. She's just sorry it is away from you!" Luna told him with a frown if you could see it.  
  
"I see well I guess if Serena feels she needs a challenge then I say go for it! I'll see her again someday!" Darien said hiding a smile.  
  
"Yeah we all agree she'll be just fine with out us right? I mean she'll have Luna there so what could go wrong right?" Rei stifled a laugh.  
  
"Well okay see you all around someday bye!" Luna said heading back home.  
  
"Okay guys let's go pack and get ready to leave on the transport tomorrow. Remember let's try and surprise Serena tomorrow on the plane!" Rei told the others. After they all agreed they all left for their own homes to pack.  
  
******  
  
The next day Serena with short hair and sunglasses due to the extreme sun light in her eyes didn't look like her old self one bit. She had an old duffel bag her dad gave her with all the clothes she would need while at training camp. Luna was in a make shift cat carrier that looked like a regular bag.  
  
Darien and the others arrived but because of Serena's new look didn't know she was there already. Rei thought that she was back to her old self again and fumed because of it. In a few moments the call was made and all the new recruits from Japan boarded the transport which would take them to California where they'd then take the boat the rest of the way to Macross Island. Serena grabbed a seat up front and watched as the plane slowly took off as she wished her friends and family well. Unknown to her or them her friends were going with her.  
  
******  
  
On the boat a week later Serena was standing on the deck looking out at the scene in front of her. In the distance she could see the SDF1 in all it glory sitting right next to Macross City which was dwarfed by the size of the ship. Serena heard all about this island from her father. He told her the city is comprised of all the people who rebuilt, learned or developed new weapons thanks to the SDF1. He also said that immigrants also moved to this island just to see the massive ship. There were different races of all kinds here. Everywhere many styles of the French, German, British, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Polynesian, Canadian, and American people were noticeable. The buildings of Macross City were big but even the tallest skyscraper was smaller than the SDF1. It was just amazing to Serena how big a ship it was. As the boat neared the dock Serena got ready to enter the transport center.  
  
The only way into Macross was through the transport center. Everyone who came onto the island received a designation card that allowed them access to certain areas. As Serena stepped out onto the main landing she looked around at the building took another deep breath and walked into the building. After she entered her friends still unaware that she was there walked into the building too. As Serena looked around she saw before her signs that told people where to go. Serena guessed the military didn't want secrets to get out incase there were spies around. One sign pointed people to a desk that would take them to Macross City while another sign pointed to a desk that would take people to the maintenance hanger of the base. While yet another one pointed the military and new recruits to the military base itself. Each sign also went on to say which card you needed to go to that part of the area on the outside. Serena looked down at her card to see which sign it allowed her to go with making sure it was the military sign she followed it to where a bus was waiting for her and other new recruits to take them to the base. As always Darien and the others followed as well out to the bus oblivious to her being there.  
  
Meanwhile Serena had entered the main office building to receive her housing assignment. With any luck Luna wouldn't be found out any time soon. And with even more luck Luna would be allowed to stay. After receiving her housing assignment and meeting her bunkmates Serena went to the welcoming session with Admiral Hayes one of the big wigs from RDF command.  
  
Admiral Hayes walked up to the podium on the stage. Seated behind him were several high-ranking officials in the RDF command including the newly named captain of the SDF1 Henry Gloval. The admiral cleared his throat and began his speech.  
  
"Good morning ladies and gentlemen and welcome to the first day of the rest of your lives. I am Admiral Hayes one of the high-ranking officers here at Macross at the moment and these fine men and women behind me are the other commanding staff here on the island. Well now that pleasantries are out of the way let's get started shall we? Now than what you see around you is the home you'll be staying at while you under go training in whatever field you go into. Behind me is the RDF's pride and joy the SDF1. Now some of you maybe not all will be able to serve aboard her, we'll just have to wait and see won't we? Okay now its time for you to learn what you lives will be like for awhile. For the next eight weeks you will be going through what we in the business like to call basic training. Here you'll learn military tactics and teamwork as well as discipline. From there, once the first eight weeks are over with, you'll enter into more specialized training. And depending on your field of choice you'll learn a new skill that you'll be able to take with you into the real world. You'll be split into two classes for your basic training command and flight. In each class you'll learn specific techniques suited to your chosen field. Each class will be broken into companies with a drill sergeant who will instruct you on everything that you need to know. In the envelopes you received when you checked in are your class and company assignments. When you are dismissed you are to go your company to begin your training. Good luck everyone. Dismissed."  
  
Upon leaving the staging area for the welcoming session Serena opened her envelope and read her assignment flight class, alpha company. That allowed her to access to the airfield. Making her way to the airfield she found the meeting area for alpha company. Looking around the area Serena saw that group was comprised of both men and women. Everyone was wearing the same uniform white shirt and blue pants. To the RDF it didn't matter if you were a man or a woman as long as you could operate the equipment you were in. Well I guess it's time to start making friends in this joint, she thought. For the first time since she left Tokyo, Japan Serena noticed one of her closest friends or boyfriend to be more exact standing on the tarmac waiting for their drill Sergeant. Deciding to have a little fun Serena walked up to Darien and said, "Well hello handsome!"  
  
Without turning around he answered, "What oh um hi!" then he turns and since Serena is still wearing her sunglasses at first he doesn't recognize her. "My name is Darien shields. What's yours?" he asked.  
  
"Um Darien are you that clueless? I'm your girlfriend you should know my name by now!" she said faking a hurt frown.  
  
"Serena? But I thought you missed the transport and the boat!" he said.  
  
"No I don't think so! Oh yeah you didn't recognize me with my hair cut! I cut it so it would fit under my helmet. I know your use to my long oh how do you and Rei put it 'meatball' hair style but it wouldn't exactly fit under the helmet you know what I mean?" Serena asked.  
  
"Well it does look great you know guess now I'll just have to call you something else!" He said with a huge grin.  
  
"I guess but Darien why are you here what about the others?" Serena asked.  
  
"Well I joined the RDF for two reasons. One, to protect you. And two, I thought it would be fun to see what military life was all about. As for the girls?" Just as Darien was about to inform her about the others a voice came from behind Darien.  
  
"Oh Darien stop hitting on strangers or did you forget your girlfriend?" they said.  
  
Both Serena and Darien turned around to see who was behind them. "Lita I was not..." But before Darien could finish Lita walked up to Serena to say something.  
  
"Hi! I'm Lita Kino and this big lug is spoken for sorry but he needs to remember that!" Lita said glaring at Darien, which caused him to reel back a couple of steps.  
  
"You know Lita it's all well and good your protecting my interest but I happen to be standing right here!" Serena told her shaking her head.  
  
"Um excuse me do I know you?" Lita asked Serena looking at her strange.  
  
"You better missy! I just happen to be one of you best friends at least I thought I was!" Serena said mocking a hurt face.  
  
"S-S-Serena?" Lita stuttered out.  
  
"Y-Y-Yes it's me!" She stuttered right back.  
  
"So are you three done faking that you don't know each other? I mean I always knew who the each of you guys are no matter what you look like!" Another voice said from behind them. This cause the three friends to turn around.  
  
Serena was the first to see Amara and ran to say hi. "Amara how did you get here?"  
  
"Oh the same as the others! We're all here you know?" Amara said.  
  
"Well where are they then?" Serena asked.  
  
"Well Amy is going to study to be a doctor, Rei, Mina and Michelle wanted to be bridge officers and the four of us are going to be pilots! Does that answer your question bunny?" Amara asked.  
  
"Sure does thanks Amara!" Serena said with a smile knowing all her friends would be together and hopefully on the same ship.  
  
"Wait Lita didn't you once tell me you were afraid of planes?" Serena suddenly turned and asked.  
  
"Yeah but I figured I needed to get over that sooner or later plus I want to be up front and kick some alien butts!" Lita told her.  
  
"Well with the three us around you'll get all the encouraging you need." Darien said.  
  
"Yes she sure will!" Serena and Amara said together.  
  
"Gee thanks guys!" Lita told them.  
  
"Well this should be fun!" Amara said.  
  
"Yeah let's go stand with the others then shall we?" Serena asked the others. With a nod the four friends stepped up to the other recruits in their class.  
  
******  
  
During basic training each company breaks off into four man training teams. Each team works together while learning all they need to know. In the command class it helps the trainees' work together solving all the problems they'll face as a team. In the flight class it gets them used to the team concept because they'll have to depend on each other in their squadrons. In the command class Bravo Company Amy, Rei, Mina, and Michelle found themselves together on one training team. In the flight class alpha company Serena, Darien, Lita, and Amara were placed together with the sergeant not knowing their history together. The sergeant had no clue how well they worked together. Later Serena found that the others were doing quite well in their training. It was also during this time that Serena also found out that Amara and Michelle had gotten a regular house on the base since they had Hotaru with them. She and Mina arranged for Luna and Artemis to stay with Amara, Michelle, and Hotaru. That way the two cats would be able to stay on the base and not violate any regulations.  
  
The eight friends tried to spend some time together when not in basic training. The eight weeks of basic training flew by quite fast. Serena's training group finished tops in her company. And they were the top four individuals in the entire class. Amy, Rei, Mina, and Michelle also finished tops in their company and class as well. With the impressive finish pulled off by the eight friends they were able to enter into the advance training classes. This meant Serena would be learning how to handle one of the high tech fighter jets the Veritech fighter.  
  
******  
  
The first day of advanced classes was pretty much like the first day of school. The day was spent getting to know not only the other individuals in the class but the instructors as well. Amy spent her day getting to know the military doctors she would be working with. Rei, Mina, and Michelle began learning design specs and defense systems for the SDF1. The teaching assistants in their class were two high-level bridge personnel on the SDF1 Claudia Grant and Lisa Hayes. Claudia and Lisa were the best of friends. Claudia was an American of African decent with short dark hair and dark eyes. Lisa on the other hand was a few inches shorter than Claudia was even in her heels. She had long light brown hair and eyes to match. It was obvious that Lisa was a couple of years younger than Claudia was but she held the higher rank. Lisa was the daughter of Admiral Hayes.  
  
Serena, Darien, Lita and Amara also had a teaching assistant help with their class. Lieutenant Commander Roy Fokker was considered to be one of the best Veritech pilots the RDF had. In fact Roy had spent most of his time in a plane since he was old enough to fly first doing a stint at a small air circus and then with the navy as a jet pilot. Roy was in his early thirties and had blonde hair and dark blue eyes.  
  
The recruits of Serena's company were to start by being put through their paces. It was time for them to learn their way around the Veritech fighter. The Drill Sergeant had brought them out to the airfield where a Veritech fighter was sitting out on the tarmac. In the fighter form it looked like any normal F-14. This however was no ordinary jet plane. The Veritech had two more forms. The group took a look at the impressive fighter. It was gray with black and yellow trim and it had a skull and crossbones design on the tail. Darien whistled in awe.  
  
"That's some plane out there." He commented.  
  
"You can say that again." Amara added.  
  
"Okay ladies and gentlemen that is what you will end up being able to fly when you're done with your advanced training!" The Drill Sergeant told them pointing to the plane behind him.  
  
"That's so cool! Let me at that plane!" Serena said very exited to get started.  
  
"Sorry corporal but this one's mine. You'll get one of your own if you complete your training!" Roy Fokker said coming up behind the group.  
  
"Ah Lt. Commander Fokker it is good you could join us today!" the Sergeant said.  
  
"Yes so are these recruits ready for the tour?" Roy Fokker asked.  
  
"Yes sir I believe they are!" the Sergeant told him.  
  
"Good! Okay ladies and gentlemen what we have here is the Veritech fighter. It is the first line of defense if alien forces should ever attack us. Now in just a moment I will be showing you the three modes of the aircraft. First, however, will you please look in front of you! What you have before you are your Veritech fight manuals. Read these from front to back. By the time you finish with your training you'll not only know your way around a Veritech, but you'll be able to recite that entire manual by heart!" Roy told the recruits.  
  
"Well Lt. Commander shall we begin the introduction of the Veritech fighter to our eager recruits?" the Sergeant asked Roy with a smile.  
  
"Yes let's begin!" Roy said going and jumping into the plane.  
  
After Roy took off the Sergeant began. "Okay people open your manuals to page 1." After the trainees opened their books the Sergeant began again. "Okay ladies and gentlemen what you see before you on the first page and in the sky is the basic stage of the Veritech. The fighter mode, in this mode you can basically fly what is considered a plane. This stage is also fast and easy to maneuver in tight situations."  
  
Next Roy pulled the button marked G and the fighter changed. "Now stage two is known as the guardian mode. By pulling down on the button marked G your fighter as the Lt. Commander has done you'll get this stage. In this stage you will be able to still fly like a plane, however, you will also be able to fire a cannon in this stage."  
  
Lastly Roy pulled the button marked B and the guardian changed again. "And finally we have the last stage, the Battleoid. In this final stage of the Veritech you'll be able to do three things. One, your Veritech will now walk. Two, you'll be able to fire the cannon. And third, you'll be able to fly, not as good as if you were in the first stage and you won't be able to maneuver very well but you will fly." The Sergeant finished the lecture as Roy returned the battleoid back into a plane and landed back on the tarmac.  
  
"Okay now before we dismiss you all are there any questions?" Roy asked coming up to the table.  
  
"We have to fly something like that?" Lita asked trying to choke down her fear and the knot in her throat and the sweats of terror take over her body.  
  
"Don't worry Lita with the three of us around nothing's ever going to happen to you." Darien told her in an effort to calm her fears.  
  
"Thanks it's nice to know you're around." Lita said a bit shaky.  
  
"That's right corporal! If you're having a fear of flying just trust in your friends and that will help you through anything!" Roy said.  
  
"Man I can't wait to get into that." Amara said.  
  
"Well Amara you'll have to wait for awhile until you go through the simulator." The Drill Sergeant said to her.  
  
"Now John don't do getting ahead of yourself they're not ready for that yet! It's still a month away until then." Roy said.  
  
"Okay Roy well let's get back to work shall we?" he said as they began to go through the manual page for page.  
  
******  
  
Not far away on top of the next building three figures were standing over the airfield watching the scene take place before them when one of the beings spoke.  
  
"Man this is so cool! I think watching that plane change into different forms is better then watching Michelle speak over the P.A. system." A young girl said.  
  
"Yes Hotaru I tend to agree with you on that one, however, Lita get into one is another story!" The black cat next to her said.  
  
"Now Luna you know as well as I do with the others there she'll be able to do it!" Another cat said this time white.  
  
"Artemis is that a challenge?" Luna asked.  
  
"Well yeah sure it's a challenge!" he told her.  
  
"Fine then what are the wagers?" Luna asked.  
  
"Well if she does get into one of those things then you give up mice for good and if she doesn't then I swear off rummaging through the garbage behind restaurants for good." Artemis told her.  
  
"All right you have yourself a deal." Luna said.  
  
"You heard her Hotaru she agreed to our bet. You're the witness." Artemis said to Hotaru.  
  
"Right you win no mice for Luna; she wins no scraps for you." Hotaru summarized.  
  
The three friends went back to watching the class on the tarmac. This is going to be an interesting year, Hotaru thought. Amara is much more fun to spy on than Michelle.  
  
******  
  
Meanwhile back on the SDF1 the girls too were being put through their paces by the senior staff. "All right ladies by the time this class is over with you will understand almost every aspect of the SDF1 perfectly. You are going to be a part of the nerve center of the SDF1. It will be your job to relay the information gathered from all over the ship to the captain. You will be the eyes and ears of the SDF1. The captain will be counting on the information you give him in order to make the proper decisions. That is why it is important you learn how to use the consoles on the bridge of the SDF1." Commander Hayes said.  
  
Rei, Mina, and Michelle were receiving the usual first day speech from Lisa and Claudia. Lisa was telling them what they would be learning while Claudia handed out manuals and spec books to the students in the class. The class was going to learn how to use the computer system that ran the SDF1. When they were finished the girls would be able to run the bridge of the SDF1.  
  
"Next to the pilots and doctors you have one of the toughest jobs on the entire SDF1. It isn't going to be easy but I have no doubt you girls can handle the position." Claudia added, "When this class is over you will be able to work together as a team. Just remember we'll be with you every step of the way"  
  
"Yes ma'am!" The girls told Claudia.  
  
******  
  
A few months had gone by and Serena's class was spending the day on the simulators. It would be the first time any of them would give the Veritech a try. The simulator would help them learn what to do in certain situations. The simulator gave them the feel of the actual Veritech in all three modes.  
  
When the class walked into the simulator room they saw that the simulator was in use. The pilot in the simulator was one of the best they had ever seen. Watching the screen they could tell this particular pilot was running the toughest scenario they had ever seen. In this particular scenario the pilot was using all three modes of the Veritech fighter and engaging the enemy.  
  
"What's that sir?" Serena asked the captain.  
  
"That ladies and gentleman is our full battle simulation. You'll get the chance to run through it once you have had some time in the actual Veritech. What we are going to do today is give you a feel for the controls in the cockpit of the Veritech. We'll run the simple training simulation today. I see our pilot has completed his simulation." The captain said.  
  
The pilot exited the simulator. The moment he turned to face the group they saw who it was. Lt. Commander Fokker had pulled some impressive numbers on the battle scenario. Everyone was thoroughly impressed with what they saw. Roy joined the group in the control room and saw the results of the simulation on the screen in front of him.  
  
"I did pretty good in there." Roy commented.  
  
"Good, you were unbelievable Lt. Commander." The technician told him.  
  
"Okay, now that we're through boosting Fokker's oversized ego let's get this underway." The Captain said to everyone in the room.  
  
"Right sir." Roy replied, "All right boys and girls I'd like to welcome you to the Veritech simulator. This simulator will allow you to get a feel for the Veritech in each of the three modes. Today to get you acclimated to the controls we will work strictly in Fighter mode. Okay Ten'ou you're up first."  
  
Amara strapped the helmet on and entered the simulator. Being an experienced pilot Amara thought the simulation would be a walk in the park. Everyone was amazed at how well Amara was doing in the simulation. The simulation picked was a simple fly by and a landing. Five minutes later Amara emerged from the simulator to get her evaluation.  
  
"Well done Corporal Ten'ou. Your past experience certainly shows. Okay Shields you're up next." Roy said to Amara and Darien.  
  
Darien got into the simulator, took a deep breath, and signaled he was ready to begin. Serena could see that even though he was nowhere near Amara's league Darien was doing pretty well for his first time. By the time his five minutes were up Darien returned to the control room. Everyone could tell he was going to be one of the better pilots in the class.  
  
"Good job Shields. You did quite well for a beginner." Roy said when he saw Darien's results, "Okay next up will be Corporal Kino."  
  
Upon hearing it was her turn in the simulator Lita lost all the color in her face and began to sweat. For the first time since they had met Serena saw Lita actually show signs of fear. Serena became concerned for her long time friend of five years. The captain also saw Lita's condition and decided the standard pep talk was in order.  
  
"You still afraid to go in there?" he asked getting a nod from Lita, "I know this is hard for you but once you get this over with you'll be just fine. In fact, once the fighter plane pulls you in you never go back. The RAF got me back in '83 and I haven't left since. Just go in there and take a deep breath and let your instincts guide you. Don't even think about where you are."  
  
Lita began to head for the simulator when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning back she saw Serena with a 'you can do it' look on her face.  
  
"Don't worry Lita we'll be right here to give you all the support you need." Serena told her.  
  
Lita continued her way to the simulator ready to do her darndest to get over her fears. Taking a deep breath Lita entered the simulator and waited for the signal to begin. Shaking all over Lita kept reminding herself mentally to let her instincts take over and not think about where she is.  
  
Inside the control room the captain began to wonder about Lita. He had seen the way her face had lost all its color and she began to sweat. For someone who wanted to learn how to fly Lita certainly seemed to be deathly afraid of planes. He knew if she didn't get over this fear real soon she wouldn't be able to finish the program and earn her wings.  
  
"Tell me Corporal Tuskino why is Corporal Kino afraid to go near a plane?" Captain Belmont asked Serena.  
  
"Lita's parents were both killed in a really nasty plane crash when she was younger leaving her all alone." Serena explained to the Captain.  
  
In no time Lita's time in the simulator was up and for someone who was afraid to be in an airport she produced some pretty impressive numbers. Everyone was quite impressed with Lita for passing the first of many personal hurdles in her life.  
  
Serena's time in the simulator left everyone in absolute silence. Lita, Darien, and Amara knew Serena would do all right but they had no idea she would surpass Amara. In the back of his mind Darien began to wonder if the princess was beginning to emerge. Lita just let out a whistle and Amara stood there with her mouth wide open. The Captain and the Lt. Commander stood in front of the screen awestruck at what they saw only once in a great while did a pilot of Serena's caliber emerge.  
  
******  
  
As Rei, Mina, and Michelle made their way from the training facility over to the airfield. They had been planned to meet Serena and the others after their class was over with. Like Serena, Darien, Lita, and Amara they had spent the day in a simulated environment. Their instructors wanted to get them use to the systems on board the SDF1. With repairs still under way on board the SDF1, a trip to the actual bridge was out of the question for the time being.  
  
Rei felt something behind them and turned around to find Claudia Grant walking not too far behind the girls. It looked as though she was also headed towards the airfield. Rei wondered why Claudia was going to the airfield. She wondered if it had anything to do with the person named Roy Claudia and Lisa were always talking about before class.  
  
The girls stopped at the gate to the airfield and began chatting amongst themselves. Michele took a quick glance upward and noticed three shadows on top of a nearby building. Turning her focus back on her friends she let out a soft sigh and shook her head. Claudia stopped next to the girls and took a quick look at her watch Roy would be finished with the training session very soon.  
  
"So what are you three doing here?" Claudia asked them still keeping her eyes on the airfield.  
  
"We're waiting for some friends. We hope they did alright in their simulator test today." Mina told her.  
  
"Yeah but I know who Michelle is waiting for." Rei said with a corny smile.  
  
"Oh and who would that be?" Claudia inquired.  
  
"My love Amara." Michelle replied looking from the airfield to Rei for a second then up to the roof and back again.  
  
"Amara that's a nice name. If you don't mind me asking what's so interesting about the roof over there?" Claudia said to Michelle.  
  
"Oh nothing important, but somebody is in trouble if I catch them again tonight." Michelle answered.  
  
Claudia wondered what was meant by that comment but quickly put it out of her mind when she saw Roy headed in her direction with a big smile upon his face.  
  
"Well, well, well if it isn't the woman of my dreams," Roy said.  
  
"Cut it out Fokker." Claudia said through a laugh.  
  
"And who are these three lovely ladies?" Roy inquired.  
  
"Roy I'd like you to meet Corporal Hino, Aino, and Kaiou better known as Rei, Mina, and Michelle. Girls this Lt. Commander Roy Fokker my boyfriend." Claudia said.  
  
"Michelle." A voice called out.  
  
"Amara!" Michelle said pulling her lover into a tender embrace.  
  
"Ah another 'flyboy' falls in love." Roy commented as he gave Claudia a peck on the cheek.  
  
"Lieutenant Grant I'd like you to meet Amara the love of my life. Amara this is Lieutenant Grant." Michelle said introducing them to each other.  
  
Amara grasped Claudia's hand and gave it a good firm shake. Claudia was quite amazed when she felt a strong female hand. She was certain from the first impression she received that Amara was a man and not a woman.  
  
A few minutes later Serena, Darien, and Lita came walking out of the airbase. Serena and Darien were obviously making kissy faces at each other while Lita was mumbling something to herself about the cockpit not being real. Rei and the others smiled when they saw the three friends come their way.  
  
"So Roy how'd it go today?" Claudia asked.  
  
"I have to admit this group of rag tag fighter pilot wannabes actually did pretty good today." Roy answered still a bit shocked at what he witnessed earlier that day.  
  
"Really?" Claudia inquired.  
  
"Believe it or not lieutenant the lieutenant commander speaks the truth. We were all quite surprised by what we saw today." Amara said.  
  
"What happened?" Michelle wanted to know.  
  
"Corporal Tuskino did better than any other student in the entire class and Corporal Kino actually flew the simulator despite her obvious fears about planes." Roy told them.  
  
"Serena and Lita?" the three bridge trainees said in unison.  
  
"Yep they sure did. That's my Meatball Head." Darien said quite proud of his girl and her friends.  
  
The small group assembled in front of the airfield decided to grab a bite to eat. Along the way Michelle told Amara what she saw on the roof. Amara got an angry look on her face and uttered the same words Michelle said earlier. Mina and Serena then vowed there would be fur flying that evening.  
  
******  
  
The months seemed to fly by quickly. Amy was deeply engrossed in her medical training and loved every minute of it. Rei, Mina, and Michelle continued on with their classes. Serena continued to amaze Roy and the captain and was doing quite well with her flight training. Serena's Father was also extremely proud since the RDF kept him informed since she was to busy studying for her tests to write. Darien and Amara also impressed Roy and the captain with their performance during flight training. Lita went from someone who was deathly afraid of airplanes to someone who didn't mind being in one. Both Roy and Captain Belmont took it upon themselves to see that everyone in the group received their wings. Roy had volunteered to be Lita's flight instructor personally seeing to it that she got over her fear.  
  
Roy and Claudia's relationship moved to the next level. They went from casual dating to an exclusive relationship despite Roy's roving eyes. To all his friends Roy was considered a window shopper; he would glance and stare but never commit to buy. Roy's past was considered to be one of the most interesting ones on the base. During his younger days Roy spent time barnstorming the countryside traveling from one county fair to another with a flying circus specializing in experimental aircraft. It was there that Roy fell in love with flying and earned a reputation for winning races. In the air show Roy had made a lot of friends.  
  
Claudia had met Roy during the UN war when they were both in training. They were young and impressionable and had gone out a few times. When Roy was called to active duty their relationship was put on hold. It wasn't until Claudia was given the opportunity to work on the bridge of the SDF1 that she saw Roy again. Once the two lovebirds were reunited they began to spend all their free time together.  
  
******  
  
To graduate from flight school and receive their wings Serena and her class had a series of tests they had to pass. The first of these was solo flight time in the Veritech fighter. Everyone had to spend a minimum of forty hours flying by themselves. They also had to spend time using the fighter in the Guardian and Batteloid modes. Once they met their solo flight requirement the trainees then began learning how to land on an aircraft carrier. When they had six successful landings the trainees would then be ready for their final test.  
  
The final test any naval pilot who wanted to work on an aircraft carrier would be to do twenty successful landings in two days. Pilots were usually given three chances to complete this test. If they were unable to complete the test in the allotted number of chances they would not receive their wings and the navy would no longer require their services. Roy and Captain Belmont were not about to let that happen.  
  
The site of the final test would be the aircraft carrier Prometheus. The Prometheus along with its sister ship the Dadelous were commissioned to the Macross Naval Facility which was part of the RDF base on Macross island. The Prometheus would travel ten miles off shore and the pilots would leave the airbase and land on the deck of the ship. They would then have to take off and land on the ship a total of ten times each day. If they made one mistake then the test would be over and they would have to wait for their next chance to land the ship.  
  
Serena, Darien, Lita, and Amara had a perfect weekend in which to complete their test. The two days Captain Belmont had chosen for the test were some of the best the island weather had to offer. The sky was blue with not a cloud present and the air was warm without being too stifling. The sea was calm and gentle with very few waves. This was the ideal time to perform the final test in order to receive pilot's wings and commissioning into the RDF. And just as Captain Belmont and Lieutenant Commander Fokker had vowed at the beginning of training everyone passed and would receive their wings.  
  
******  
  
It had been two years since Serena and the Sailors joined the RDF. Serena, Darien, Lita, and Amara had passed their training and were about to receive their wings. Amy was going to enter into her third year of medical training. Here she would be able to work hands on with actual patients. Rei, Mina, and Michelle had completed their training as well and received their commissioning papers assigning them to the bridge of the SDF1.  
  
Lisa Hayes, Claudia Grant, and Roy Fokker were given new duties as well. Lisa, who came from a military family, was promoted to first officer of the SDF1. Claudia was named tactical officer for the SDF1. And Roy was named commander of the Skull Squadron. Roy and Claudia's relationship continued to blossom and grow. One month before the graduation ceremonies were to take place Roy asked Claudia to marry him. Claudia didn't waste any time telling the pilot yes. The next time they were back on Earth the pair would plan to get married.  
  
Graduation day at the Macross Base was a big deal. This was the first class of recruits to pass the rigorous RDF flight training. The young crew of rag tag pilots assembled at the airbase would be the backbone of the RDF. They were given the task of using the advanced robotechnology the military scientists had created. No one was prouder of the class than Captain Belmont.  
  
The sky over Macross City was perfect that day as the entire base came to witness the commissioning of a new batch of Veritech pilots. There was not a single cloud in the sky and the sun shone bright. The air had a slight breeze to it coming off the bay. Captain Belmont stood at the podium and began to address the assembled crowd.  
  
"Ladies and gentleman it gives me great pleasure and pride to stand here before you as I pass out wings to all the fine graduates here today. They have taken and passed the great challenge of becoming Veritech pilots. It will be their job to protect our world from any alien threat that may come our way. And if conflict and trouble should ever arise here on Earth it will be their job to help end that conflict. So without further ado I shall begin calling the names of our newest Veritech pilots to come and receive their wings. I'd appreciate it if you would hold your applause until the last name has been called."  
  
One by one the captain called the names of the latest batch of fighter pilots and one by one the graduates made their way to the stage. When the ceremony was over with Serena, Darien, Lita, and Amara found out that they were going to be in the same squad together. All four of them were assigned to become members of the Skull Squadron under Roy's leadership.  
  
A few minutes after three of the inner scouts were shocked to see their family members there to support them in this their finest hour. "Mom, dad you're here!" Mina called out in a fit of joy.  
  
"Mina Aino you wound us! Why wouldn't we be here? You did just graduate from the RDF military academy!" her father James Aino told her.  
  
"Your father's right dear we're very proud of you! I just want you to know we love you very much and this graduation just serves to prove the reason of why we care so much. You continue to show us just how determined you are to stay with a task you set for your self." Her mother Nancy Aino said.  
  
"Oh mom, dad! I love you guys so much!" Mina told her parents as she hugged them tight.  
  
Off to the side Amy was herself being congratulated for a job well done by her mother. "Oh Amy you finally made it! You're a doctor just like me!" Kathy Mizuno told her daughter as she hugged her.  
  
"Thanks mom! I couldn't have done it without the constant support of my family and friends!" Amy told her.  
  
"Yes I see even your friend Serena has changed a lot since your junior high school days!" Kathy said looking towards Serena who was looking for her own family, However, while Kathy was looking towards Serena she didn't see a tall reddish blonde haired gentleman walk up to Amy.  
  
"Amy how's my favorite genius after all that hard work?" the man asked.  
  
"Zack you made it! Hey did the others make it too?" Amy asked.  
  
"Yeah they sure did! Nathan is over with Lita as we speak checking to make sure she's been eating well! Justin's over by Rei and her Grandfather Telling her how much he'll miss her and her grandfather is still trying to tell her she's to young to date! Kevin is over by Mina right now introducing himself to her parents. I still wonder how they're going to take her relationship?" Zack told Amy while shaking his head.  
  
"Mom I'd like you to meet some one very special to me!" Amy said getting her mothers attention.  
  
"Why Amy do my eye deceive me or has my little girl gone and gotten herself a man?" Kathy asked Amy.  
  
"Yes mom I did! Mom this is Zack Kurata. Zack this is my mother Dr. Kathy Mizuno!" Amy said making introductions.  
  
"Well Amy I hope this one treats you better then the last one! Honestly what ever the Greg boy was thinking when he ran off with another girl and leave you crying for days on in is beyond me!" Kathy told her daughter.  
  
"Don't worry about a thing with me ma'am! I am one person that knows how to treat a woman with respect! I won't leave your daughter like her last boyfriend did!" Zack said then noticing the freshly graduated students heading towards the stage told Amy, "Amy I think you might need to go over to the stage right now! I'll stay here and keep your mom company!" Zack said as Amy headed off after hugging her mom and kissing Zack on the check.  
  
As Serena was looking around an annoying voice sounded behind her. "Hey Meatball head! Well bet you're happy now that you passed your big test so now what are you going to do quit?"  
  
"Sammy I did not join to just to quit after graduation!" Serena told her little brother.  
  
"Sammy leave your sister alone or I can send you into the RDF involuntary!" Another voice said from behind Sammy.  
  
"Dad! Oh yeah! Captain Tuskino sir!" Serena said standing at attention.  
  
"At ease solder! How's my daughter doing huh Serena?" Kenji asked.  
  
"Fine dad just really glad the training part is over. Hey where's mom you guys going to watch the Air show?" Serena asked.  
  
"Serena honey you think I'd miss my babies graduation?" Irene asked coming up next to her husband.  
  
"Oh mom how have you guys been? I've missed you all even the little spore!" Serena said looking towards her brother.  
  
"Hey your military now you have to be nice to civilians!" Sammy said with a big grin on his face.  
  
"Um actually Sammy that doesn't protean to family!" Kenji informed his son.  
  
Just then Darien walked up to Serena and her family. "Serena the Lt. Commander wants all of us by the stage at attention!" Darien said before saying hi and saluting Serena's father. With that Serena walked back to the stage where the other graduates stood.  
  
The members of the Sailor Team had passed their first great test but their greatest test and their greatest adventure was about to begin.  
  
TBC  
  
More to come! Please Read and Review! 


	2. Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not now or have I ever owned the characters of Sailor Moon, Robotech. People I want to say something about Miss Lynn Minmei. I don't like her. I like the Rick/Lisa romance and Minmei just gets in the way. So if you like her don't read this, however, if you want to see a new bitchy side to Minmei please enjoy! At first she'll be nice until the Miss Macross pageant then watch out people Rick will leave her in the dust for Lisa don't worry I slowly bring Rick and Lisa together. Again I want to thank Chibi Halo who wrote 'Sailor Moon Macross' without this story wouldn't have existed. As always please R&R this so I know how it is coming across to people! Chibi Halo I would like to know what you think as well! Chibi Halo there might be a few scenes in my story but I pray you won't mind. One more thing for the beginning of the first few chapters I will use your chapter names, I will come up with my own after the last chapter you named. People who haven't read her story yet please do it is a great read! Please enjoy and now on with the story! This is the only Disclaimer I will write! This chapter will help develop the girl's boyfriends. I just want to thank Chibi Halo for being my Beta reader!  
  
Just so you know! Kevin- Kunzite Nathan- Nephrite Justin- Jadite Zack- Zoicite  
  
Robotech Warriors Book 1 By thunderbird with Sections From Chibi Halo  
  
The motorcade made its way down the streets of Macross City. Everyone in the entire city wanted to get a glimpse of the car carrying such an important political figure. Inside the vehicle the atmosphere was less than friendly. The two occupants of the backseat of the vehicle had different opinions about how the events of the day should be handled. The short stocky balding gentleman with the pencil thin mustache thought the eyes of the world should be watching the momentous occasion taking place that day. His companion next to him who was taller thinner and had what some would call a thick cheesy mustache would disagree. He didn't want to draw any unnecessary attention that would alert any possible enemies. The two gentlemen let their opinions be known to not only each other but also the driver and bodyguard in the front of the car.  
  
"Captain you don't seem to understand the historical significance of this day." The short man said.  
  
"I understand it very well. What you don't understand Mr. Mayor is I am about to take an untested crew into space for the first time. A crew that has had very little combat experience." The captain tried to get across.  
  
"Captain Gloval it appears to me that you tend to forget that without the people of Macross City your precious ship would not even be ready for launch today." The mayor replied.  
  
"Without that ship and the military crew she possesses there would be no Macross City." Captain Gloval argued as he took a puff from his pipe.  
  
"Oh your no fun Gloval!" The mayor told him.  
  
"I wasn't trying to be funny mister mayor!" Gloval retorted.  
  
Both men sat silent in the car as the pipe smoke hung in the air. Neither man wanted to carry the conversation they were having any farther.  
  
Captain Henry Gloval was a man in his early fifties. Born during the early stages of the cold war Captain Gloval was brought up believing that the Americans were the enemy of the great Soviet Empire. It was said many times by his father that the date of his birth determined Henry's path in life. Henry Gloval was born on the day the Soviet military launched the rocket containing the Sputnik satellite.  
  
Growing up in the midst of the great space race Henry Gloval trained to become a great hero of the Soviet people. As the years passed on and the cold war continued the young Gloval entered the military and saw time in the Baltic Sea. When the cold war began to die down and the Soviet Union and Communism faded into history Captain Gloval stayed in the Russian military as a naval officer. It was because of his impressive naval career that he was not only made a commanding officer in the UN military but in the RDF as well.  
  
The silence in the vehicle continued for nearly five minutes. With neither man acknowledging the presence of the other one the atmosphere was less than cheery. The mayor, after having enough of the perpetual silence, finally spoke up to the Russian.  
  
"You know Gloval the least you could do is smile once in a while." The mayor said.  
  
"I will smile only when the SDF1 is successfully launched into space." The captain replied.  
  
"Fine you big party pooper the least you could do is wave!" The mayor said.  
  
"Fine I'll wave but that's all I will do mister mayor!" Gloval mumbled to himself.  
  
The mayor has no idea about the possible threat to our world; none of them do they're all so naïve, the captain thought. They all believe nothing will ever happen to them again.  
  
The mayor could tell something was bothering the captain by the way he was puffing on his pipe. He decided the current topic of discussion wasn't one Gloval wanted to talk about. The mayor decided to change the subject for the rest of the ride. Nothing was going to spoil his perfect day.  
  
********  
  
Part Two: Launch Day  
  
********  
  
The crowd gathered around for the day's events would soon get a real treat. In the air would soon be flying four members of the Skull Squadron. While on the ground the freshly graduated cadets stood at attention down in front of the stage while Rei, Mina, and Michelle went to the bridge of the ship to prepare to launch the ship. Their family members all sat down to watch to spectacle. Next thing that happened surprised everyone including Serena and Sammy. On the stage next to Lt. Commander Fokker was Serena and Sammy's father, Kenji Tuskino. At first Serena thought he was just there to say hi but now it appeared that he was there to also talk about the new Veritech fighters to the civilians there to see the launching of the SDF1.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen good morning and welcome to not only the graduation of these fine new soldiers but the launching of the massive ship that you see behind me now! For those of you who know me my name is well known, however, for those who don't. My name is Captain Kenji F. Tuskino. I am one of the men behind the development of those fine Aircraft you see over in the Tarmac to my right. These fighters have three modes to protect our world. The first you see before you. It is the main form of the Veritech Aircraft. Lt. Commander if you will please have the four pilots take off so we may begin the show!" Kenji asked.  
  
"Yes Captain Tuskino!" Roy then proceeded to speak into his mic to tell the four fighters to take off.  
  
"As you can see they can maneuver very well and fast. As you can see in Fighter mode the Veritech acts and feels like a normal jet. You get easy maneuverability in Fighter mode."  
  
The pilots executed a perfect bank turn and headed back towards the airfield. As they did they manipulated a few controls and pulled a switch marked G. the fighters lost their tails and sprouted arms and legs and were now holding large cannons.  
  
"The pilots have now gone into Guardian mode. In this mode the pilots can return back to Fighter mode quickly to be able to engage in full air combat. The arms and legs do make it a bit difficult to maneuver in flight but they allow for easy use of the cannon you see in the hands of the Guardian." Captain Tuskino explained to everyone.  
  
The pilots manipulated the controls once more and pulled a lever marked B. The Guardians grew in size and lost any resemblance to jet planes. The large robots were around forty feet in height and had the cannons strapped over their shoulders. The whole group stared in awe at the Battleoids.  
  
"Man I still can't get over those things size." Amara said.  
  
The captain continued his explanation of the Veritech. "What you see before you is the full Battleoid mode. In this mode we can engage the enemy in hand to hand combat. Here we will be around the same height as the enemy. Our research has shown that the enemy will be around forty feet in height. With the Battleoid we can be prepared for anything that enemy might throw our way."  
  
The Pilots reverted back into Guardian mode and took off high enough to change back to Fighter mode. Once the Veritech was in Fighter mode they prepared to land the planes and return it to the tarmac.  
  
As the four planes reached were about to land they saw a small plane headed right for them. "This is Skull 3 to SDF1 control, SDF1 control come in please!" the pilot called over the radio.  
  
"Commander Hayes Skull 3 is calling over the radio!" Michelle told her.  
  
"This is Commander Hayes go ahead corporal!" Lisa told the pilot.  
  
"Commander beg your forgiveness but we've got a small plane headed right at us!" He asked.  
  
"Hang on a moment! Corporal Kaiou put me through to that ship now!" Lisa ordered.  
  
"I'm patching you through now ma'am!" Michelle said.  
  
Lisa was mad for the simple fact that this flyboy was about to ram right into four Veritechs. On top of that the idiot wasn't suppose to be there.  
  
******  
  
Meanwhile down on the ground the audience was watching the whole scene play out right in front of them. Serena, Darien, Lita and Amara along with the other graduates watched in horror as the little plane kept coming towards the base and appeared to refuse to stop, turn around or pull up. Their family and friends wondered if anyone would do something to stop the pilot of the small plane before they crashed into the four Veritech fighters. Amy and her mother thought that the way things were going there might be injured. So they both got ready just in case they'd be needed.  
  
******  
  
Meanwhile the small experimental aircraft flew across the sky with a slight hum from the propeller. The rear propeller looked more like a large oversized fan than something that would fly a plane. On either side of the propeller were boosters similar to the ones found on a fighter jet. The plane may have been small but it was extremely fast and easy to maneuver.  
  
The pilot of the small aircraft was heading towards Macross Island for the launching of the SDF1. He knew only those with a ticket would be allowed onto the military base. He also knew the best pilot the RDF had to offer Roy Fokker. Roy was his ticket into the biggest event in RDF history.  
  
As the pilot of the small plane continued towards Macross Island he failed to notice the flight demonstration taking place in front of him. Continuing on his path towards the island the pilot of the small experimental aircraft was about to fly head on into the tight formation held by four members of the Skull Squadron. At the last second the formation broke loose and rocked the tiny plane.  
  
Right after the formation was broken up a voice came over the young pilot's radio. "You in the unauthorized plane do you know how darn close you came to getting turned into a damn splatter on one of those fighters?" the voice roared over the radio.  
  
"I'm sorry ma'am I wasn't paying attention!" the pilot whimpered from her voice.  
  
"You weren't paying attention! You weren't paying attention! What the hell do you mean you weren't paying attention? Who can someone who flies a plane not pay attention?" the person boomed over the radio.  
  
"Jeez lady calm down! No harm was done!" he told the woman on the other end of the connection.  
  
While the two argued back and forth Roy decided it was time to end this little fiasco. So he pardoned himself away from Captain Tuskino and ran to his fighter. After he took off he flew up next to the little experimental plane to see just who the heck it was that almost wrecked four of his men's planes. "Rick is that you in there? You mind telling me why the hell you almost wrecked four of our most expensive planes every built? I'll have you know that the creator of those planes is down there right now probable fuming out of his mind that you almost destroyed a demo of his Fighters unveiling!" Roy yelled through the radio.  
  
"Lt. Commander do you mean to tell me you know this imbecile?" the woman yelled.  
  
"Yes Commander Hayes unfortunately I do! I'll take full responsibility for him ma'am!" Roy told her.  
  
"Hey Roy who is that old nag?" Rick asked.  
  
"Old nag! Why you little!" she said before she cut off communications.  
  
"Rick that old nag as you so delicately put it is my superior officer!" Roy told him, "Now I think it's time to land and calm down our nerves!"  
  
******  
  
A few minutes later after Rick and Roy were on the ground Captain Tuskino walked up to them. "Young man do you know how long it took me to design those planes?"  
  
"No sir not really!" Rick said taking a big gulp of air.  
  
"Let's put it this way. I think you weren't even born yet when I thought up those designs!" Kenji told the young man in front of him.  
  
"Father please calm down! I'm sure he's sorry! Right?" A woman in her early twenties said coming up to the group.  
  
"Thank you corporal Tuskino! Captain why don't you relax while I go talk to my friend here?" Roy asked.  
  
"Sir I really am sorry!" Rick apologized.  
  
"Fine just don't let it happen again okay?" Kenji told the boy. After Serena and her father left Roy and Rick took a walk. To discuss this and that and anything else they felt like.  
  
As the two long time friends walked around the airfield they noticed a small lunch cart not too far from the grandstands set up for the day's events. Standing next to the cart was a young Asian woman and a little boy. The girl appeared to be no older than fifteen and the boy no older than eight. The girl had long dark hair and dark chestnut eyes and a smile that lit up any area she was in. She wasn't as beautiful as a super model or a movie star but she had an adorable innocence about her. Roy smiled when he saw her. Rick looked over at his friend and knowing Roy took his smile to mean that Roy was interested in this girl.  
  
"Hey Roy are you in love with her?" Rick teased.  
  
"It's not like that at all Rick. I happen to be in a very steady relationship right now." Roy replied.  
  
"Yeah I bet your plane is great kisser Roy." Rick joked.  
  
Upon hearing Rick's latest remark Roy whapped him upside the head.  
  
"Hey what was that for?" Rick demanded to know.  
  
"That was for calling my girl a plane." Roy replied with a devilish grin on his face.  
  
Rick decided to back off any more remarks about women and planes. He knew better than to push the two buttons that got Roy going. Women and planes ranked tops in Roy's odd little fantasy world. Roy either had to have a woman or a plane in his life to feel complete. If he had both Roy was on top of the world. And being in the RDF with Claudia left Roy feeling like a giddy little schoolboy.  
  
Roy was feeling so good at the moment he decided to give Rick something he would talk about for the rest of his life. Roy knew there was an unused Veritech sitting near one of the hangers and he was bout to let Rick sit in one of the most advanced fighter jets in the world. He knew nothing else could go wrong as long as Rick was on the ground.  
  
"Hey Rick how would you like to see an actual Veritech fighter up close?" Roy asked him.  
  
"You know I would." Rick answered showing all the excitement in his voice.  
  
"Come on I know where we can find one for you to look at." Roy said.  
  
Rick was like a little kid in a candy store when he saw the Veritech. In all the years Roy had known Rick Hunter and his family Rick was the only other person Roy knew who had the same love for planes he did. Because of that love Rick came to idolize Roy and everything Roy did made Rick want to be just like him. Everything except join the military. Rick wasn't too fond of the military but he never let that get in the way of his friendship with Roy.  
  
"Wow wait till the guys back home hear about this!" Rick exclaimed over the radio.  
  
"Yep they'll certainly be jealous of you Rick. You got to sit in an actual Veritech." Roy said.  
  
******  
  
The bridge of the SDF1 was quiet since the incident with Rick's plane. Claudia and the others knew it was best to let things die down on their own when Lisa was in one of her moods. The best thing to do was leave Lisa alone and let her calm down before talking to her again. This was one of those days when Lisa demanded absolute perfection from the members of the bridge crew. As first officer of the SDF1 Lisa had a lot riding on her shoulders.  
  
The door to the bridge opened and Captain Henry Gloval stepped onto the bridge of the SDF1 for the first time. The entire bridge crew turned to see who was coming onto the bridge. Lisa knew right away that it was the captain of the SDF1.  
  
"Captain on the bridge." Lisa announced signaling the crew to use proper protocol.  
  
Everyone stood at attention and waited for the captain to speak.  
  
"At ease ladies." He began, "Lisa is everything going well in here?"  
  
"We had a minor incident sir but Lt. Commander Fokker has taken care of the problem." Lisa reported.  
  
"Good. Are we ready to begin launch procedures?" the captain wanted to know  
  
"We are ready to begin launch procedures on your word captain." Lisa replied.  
  
"Alright then ladies let's bring this ship to life." The captain told them.  
  
"All personnel prepare to begin launch procedures." Lisa called out over the ship wide communications system.  
  
The protoculture surged through the long idle battle cruiser bringing it to life. All over the ship the various systems came to life as the long process of preparing the ship for launch began.  
  
"Engine room reports engines are on line captain." Mina reported.  
  
"Communications?" the captain asked.  
  
"Communications are up and running sir." Michelle replied.  
  
"Radar?"  
  
"I feel a great evil approaching." Rei said.  
  
The captain, Lisa, and Claudia looked at each other with obvious confusion. They had no idea about Rei's precognitive skills. Mina and Michelle on the other hand looked at each other with sheer terror on their faces. They knew all too well what Rei meant when she had one of her flashes.  
  
True to Rei's ominous premonition the alarm system began to sound off in the bridge. Claudia scrambled to see what she could do to shut it off. As she tried to get things under control she found out she was locked out of her control station. Looking at the screen Claudia could see the main guns begin to go on line in preparation to fire.  
  
"Captain the main guns are preparing to fire!" Claudia called out over the sound of the alarm.  
  
"What?! That's impossible!" the captain yelled back to her.  
  
"Sir, I'm locked out of my terminal." Mina told him.  
  
"Claudia shut down the main guns now." Captain Gloval ordered.  
  
"I can't captain. Believe me I've tried and my station's not responding." Claudia replied.  
  
"What about communications Michelle?" the captain needed to know.  
  
"Nothing sir the system won't respond to anything I try to do." She told him.  
  
Why did Amy have to go into medical training, Rei thought.  
  
"Sir I can't get any response from the radar systems either." Rei reported.  
  
"Lisa what are you getting?" the captain asked her.  
  
"Nothing sir. I can't get anything on my screen and like the others my station is not responding." Lisa replied with obvious fear in her voice.  
  
Outside the SDF1 the main guns began find their target. Locking in on the target the guns powered up and prepared to fire. All at once the guns went off and an explosion could be seen in the sky over Macross City. The people gathered at the airbase began to get out of there as the government officials began scrambling for answers.  
  
On the bridge of the SDF1 Captain Henry Gloval was none too pleased with their current situation. The ship they thought they knew everything about was actually a booby trap. As the main guns went off line the ship's systems came back under control.  
  
"They have sent us to our deaths." The captain commented with a chuckle.  
  
"Sir?" Lisa asked him.  
  
"The ship obviously has some built in self defenses set to detect when the enemies of whomever built her are nearby and their so called experts knew nothing about them." The captain told them.  
  
******  
  
When then SDF1 fired its main guns the blast shot out and went into outer space. What they were aimed at no one knew, however, that would all change as soon as the intended target decided to because the blast itself was of no concern to the moon base, the two ships, or the space station. Only the alien ship seemed to have any concern over what had just taken place. The SDF1 had just taken down their scout ship and they were none to pleased.  
  
On board the large alien ship the commander of the mission was looking over the information displayed on the screen in front of him. The enormously tall individual with blue gray skin bald head and a faceplate covering the right portion of his head wasn't happy.  
  
"Exedore report." He ordered.  
  
The smaller of the pair on the ship's bridge, Exedore, had muddy brown skin and reddish orange hair. Compared to his companion he was a full head shorter.  
  
"The blast from the surface of the planet defiantly came from the ship we've been tracking Lord Breetai." Exedore told him.  
  
"It appears the people of this planet have learned how to use it." Breetai commented. "The Zentreadi shall take back what is rightfully ours. Exedore send the battle pods to attack that planet."  
  
"As you command Lord Breetai." Exedore replied.  
  
A full compliment of Zentreadi battle pods made their way to the surface of the planet. Along the way the two space cruisers noticed the alien attack but before either of them could alert the troops on the surface the Zentreadi ship destroyed both of them. Little did the Zentreadi know that by destroying the small space cruisers they made themselves known.  
  
******  
  
The bridge of the SDF1 was scrambling to try and figure out what had triggered the main guns to fire. Mina was running a full systems diagnostic while Rei was doing a radar sweep of the area. Michelle was gathering reports from the various parts of the ship and the moon base, space station, and ships in orbit above the Earth. She was about to contact one of the two ships when they both exploded from the initial Zentreadi attack. The enemy was now upon them.  
  
"Sir, I can't seem to reach our ships in orbit." Michelle told the captain.  
  
"Try using a different frequency Michelle." The captain suggested.  
  
"That's just it sir no matter what frequency I use I can't contact them." She replied.  
  
"Rei try getting them on the long range radar." Captain Gloval said.  
  
"They're not on the long range radar sir." Rei responded  
  
"What?!" the captain demanded.  
  
"They're gone." Rei told him.  
  
Once again Rei got another premonition and stiffened. She quickly turned around to check the radar screen in time to see forty blips on the screen heading straight towards the SDF1.  
  
"Sir, we've got forty incoming unidentified bogeys headed this way." Rei called out.  
  
"Long range sensors indicate these things are packing a lot of fire power." Claudia reported.  
  
"Lisa call out the Veritech squads now!" the captain ordered.  
  
"Aye, aye sir." Lisa began, "Red alert all Veritech squads report for duty now this is not a drill repeat this is not a drill."  
  
******  
  
All hell was breaking loose all around Rick. Everywhere he looked he could see numerous Veritech fighters scrambling to get into the air. And everywhere he looked he could see strange pod like ships descending from the sky and emerging from the water.  
  
"Looks like I'm going to have to cut our tour short Rick. Duty calls." Roy told him.  
  
Roy took off in his Skull fighter to join the rest of his squad and fight the invading forces. As Rick sat there wondering what to do next when another voice came over the radio.  
  
"You there in the Veritech get up there and join your squad." She ordered.  
  
Rick froze at the sound of the voice and tried desperately to explain his situation.  
  
"But I'm not a..."  
  
"Get up there now before I have you thrown into the brig that's an order!" she cut in.  
  
Rick quickly looked over the controls and started the plane. Except for some odd levers to his right Rick found the controls of the Veritech to be pretty much like the ones in his own plane. As Rick taxied to the runway he could see the cause of all the commotion. Up in the sky and on the ground Rick could see at least fifty strange looking pod like spacecraft attacking the Veritechs. Taking a deep breath Rick launched the Veritech and joined the others.  
  
******  
  
The day they had all been training for was finally here. This was their first battle with the enemy. Even though most of them had some combat experience they weren't prepared for this, a full out invasion from space. The pods they faced had as much firepower as a Veritech. The two guns on either side of the pod packed quite a punch.  
  
Roy joined the members of the Skull Squadron and quickly formulated a plan of attack. He knew they would need to brake up into three groups of four one taking the left side, one taking the right side and one going straight up the middle. Roy even knew which pilots to put in each group. From what he had seen Serena, Darien, Lita, and Amara were the obvious choice to be in one group because they seemed to work well with each other.  
  
"Alright boys and girls you wanted action you got it. You wanted an adventure you got it. You wanted to defend the world from the alien scum of the universe well here's your chance. We're going to do a simple run and gun plan here. There'll be three groups of four one to the left one to the right and one straight up the middle." Roy began.  
  
"Okay Mendez, Clark, Harris, and Anderson go left. Clark you take lead. Tuskino, Shields, Kino, and Ten'ou you go right. Tuskino you take the lead. The rest of you are with me. We're taking them head on. Good luck and good hunting everyone." Roy ordered.  
  
The Skull Squadron broke up into three groups each going their respective ways. Each Head pane took point and lead the way through the storm of attacking pods. Down on the ground the city people along with the members of the audience that was attending the graduation and launching of the SDF1 had to run for cover as the alien force attacked the island. The families and friends of the scouts along with the people of Macross made it into the emergency shelters just as the pods started to rip apart the city.  
  
Meanwhile up in the air the three parts of the skull squadron were battling the enemy pods with such resilience that they were starting to drive them back that was until from out of nowhere the enemy had received back up. Over with Serena and the others, they were managing to stave off the alien pods as best they could and out of the corner of her eye Serena saw a lone Veritech fighter get hit in the tail section which caused it to plummet towards the bridge of the SDF1. Serena wasted no time in what she knew she had to do next. "Lt. Commander please come in! There was a Veritech fighter hit in its tail section and it's headed straight for the bridge of the ship!" she said over the radio.  
  
"I read you corporal and I'm on it! Tuskino has command until I come back! Fokker out!" Roy said while he headed towards the falling fighter.  
  
******  
  
Inside the fighter Rick knew he was in big trouble, however, he had no idea how he'd get out of this one. Rick thought he'd die for sure this time and for once he was hoping that he knew what the heck he was suppose to do in this ship.  
  
On board the SDF1 in the bridge Lisa thought the pilot in the Veritech was a nutcase either that or stupid. She figured there was only one way out of this predicament.  
  
"Michelle please hurry and put me through to that fighter headed directly for us!" Lisa ordered.  
  
"Aye! Ma'am!" Michelle said following orders.  
  
"Go ahead ma'am!" she told her.  
  
"Okay pilot why are you not pulling up yet?" Lisa asked the pilot of the fighter headed right at them.  
  
"I don't know how ma'am!" Rick said over the loud speaker.  
  
"What you don't know how? Why not?" Lisa asked.  
  
"Simple really ma'am! I'm not in the military!" Rick yelled.  
  
"Then why the hell are you in that ship?" Lisa yelled.  
  
"EXCUSE ME YOU'RE THE ONE WHO ORDERED ME TO TAKE OFF IN THIS THING REMEMBER?" Rick yelled at the top of his lungs.  
  
"Rick shut up! You do not yell at a person for a simple mistake!" Roy yelled out that order.  
  
"I'm sorry Roy but she pushes my buttons!" Rick told him.  
  
"Still anyway! Commander I'll take care of this!" Roy said.  
  
"Well see that you do Lt. Commander!" Lisa said signing off.  
  
"Okay Rick I'm going to help you pull out of this!" Roy said.  
  
"Okay Roy well what do I do first?" Rick asked.  
  
"Do you see the two buttons to your left?" Roy asked.  
  
"Yes I do! What next?"  
  
"Hit the G button!" Roy ordered.  
  
"Oh you mean this one!" Rick asked but just before he could push it an explosion rocked the fighter and Rick accidentally pushed the B button.  
  
"No Rick not that button!" Roy said following after Rick.  
  
******  
  
Down in the streets of Macross not all of the citizens were safe yet and the family of a local Chinese restaurant was running for one of the nearby doors to the underground shelter. The family was running when the younger of the woman turned around and ran back to the building. "Minmei where on earth are you going?" Minmei's aunt asked.  
  
"I forgot something in my bedroom I want to go get it!" Minmei told her aunt.  
  
"I'm coming too!" her little cousin said.  
  
"No Jamie!" Lynn told her young son.  
  
A few moments later as Minmei and Jamie ran into the room a large explosion rocked the surrounding area and the next thing they knew some giant robot tore a hole in the side of the wall. The side of the wall came crashing down around the teenage girl and her young cousin; however, they were lucky that out of nowhere came another robot to shield them from the debris. "Miss are you alright?" Roy asked the teenager.  
  
"Yes sir! How's your friend?" she asked.  
  
"He'll be fine! Listen you better go to the underground shelter while you can!" Roy told her. Just as he said that her aunt came in and took the young boy while telling Minmei to follow her. When she got down to the street, however, an alien pod came out of nowhere and grabbed her.  
  
Just then Rick came out of the stupor he went into when he hit his head on the joystick after he hit the ground. "Roy what the heck happened?"  
  
"Tell ya later right now we need to save that young lady!" Roy said over the radio causing Rick to look at the giant pod with Minmei in its arms.  
  
"Okay Roy what's the plan?" Rick asked.  
  
"Well first hit that G button on your left side! Then I want you to shoot a warning shot across that pods side!" Roy ordered.  
  
"What are you going to do?" Rick asked.  
  
"Why come up behind it and knock the little lady free of that monster of course! Then you grab her!" Roy ordered.  
  
"Let's do it Roy!" Rick said hitting the G button to his left side, which switched his fighter from battleoid into a guardian.  
  
Soon after Rick fired the shot scaring the alien pod into watching him so when Roy came up behind it the thing didn't see when Roy blew off the arm holding Minmei. Roy quickly grabbed her and then finished by blowing the pod up.  
  
"Good job Rick now come with me so we can check this little girl out okay!" Roy said.  
  
******  
  
Meanwhile on board the bridge of the SDF1 the crew was about to get a special guest. One of the higher ups, an ambassador decided to kick the SDF1 and her crew off the planet for the Earth's safety supposedly. But he was bound and determined to do it just the same. Lisa was trying her hardest to remain clam and in control during the entire situation. Without her knowing it she had sent a civilian into battle and almost got him killed. If it hadn't been for Roy the young daredevil pilot would have been shot at by one of the enemy ships. Add to that the ambassador giving the orders to launch the SDF1 before it was ready. The captain was not too pleased with that order. Now Lisa was given the task of getting all the Veritech pilots back to the ship in one piece. Things were going okay until Roy Fokker's voice was heard over the radio system.  
  
"This is Lt. Commander Fokker requesting permission to land." He said.  
  
Claudia was about to give him the go ahead when Lisa decided to give Roy a piece of her mind.  
  
"Lt. Commander Fokker do you know how irresponsible it was to allow a civilian access to one of the Veritech fighters." She yelled at him.  
  
"Nothing happened." Roy tried to explain.  
  
"Nothing happened? He could have killed everyone on the bridge." She shot back.  
  
"But he didn't. In fact he helped me rescue a civilian from an enemy pilot." Roy told her.  
  
"Listen mister hot shot fighter pilot I'm going to have a few words with you when you get on board this ship." Lisa said with a biting tone of voice.  
  
"Gee Roy who's the old sourpuss?" Rick asked his best friend.  
  
"Old sourpuss. I'll show you who's an old sourpuss." Lisa said as she got off Roy's channel.  
  
"Rick I already told you that is my commanding officer now shut up already!" Roy told him.  
  
"Roy you and your companion are clear to land in hanger three." Claudia let him know.  
  
"Thanks Beautiful." Roy replied.  
  
Lisa who was a bit calmer wondered why Claudia sent Roy and the civilian pilot to hanger three.  
  
"Claudia why did you send them there?" she asked.  
  
"Well that's were they put the plane that civilian was flying earlier. I thought he might want to at least see it again. And besides it just might keep him occupied for a while." She explained.  
  
"Claudia what would I ever do without you?" Lisa said not expecting an answer.  
  
"Probably lose your mind!" Claudia said jokingly.  
  
******  
  
The two Veritech fighters landed in hanger three without any problems. Roy put Minmei who had blacked out after the rescue because she was scared they were going to shoot her down and got out to check on her. After waking her up he watched as Roy went over to the flight crew chief to get an update on their current situation. As Roy stood talking with the crewmen. He continued to not look too happy.  
  
"Listen Rick I'm afraid you and the young lady are going to have to stay on board the SDF1 for a while. Things just aren't safe out there for you." Roy said when he finished talking to the crew.  
  
"But how are we going to get home?" Rick demanded to know.  
  
"Don't worry we'll get you two back down to island when everything is over." Roy told them.  
  
"My family doesn't even know I'm up here." Minmei said.  
  
"We'll find a way to contact your family miss." Roy reassured her, "Right now you two should sit back and enjoy yourselves. Besides Rick we saved something for you." Roy said as he pulled on a white tarp that revealed Rick's experimental racer.  
  
"My plane! Gee thanks Roy." Rick said with renewed enthusiasm and hope.  
  
"No problem kid it's the least we could do." Roy told him as he left for the briefing room.  
  
Rick was on cloud nine now that he had his plane back. Jumping into the cockpit he checked all the controls and gauges. The plane had enough fuel to get them back to the island and to safety. In the back of his mind Rick was formulating a plan. If he wasn't going to do something right in the eyes of the military he would do something right in the eyes of Minmei's family and return her to Macross City.  
  
"Listen I've got enough fuel in there to get me back to island." Rick said as he jumped out of the plane, "If you want I'll be more than happy to take you with me. It'll be a tight squeeze but I think we can manage it. What do you say?"  
  
"Really you could get me off this awful ship and back to my aunt and uncle?! That would be great. Okay I'll go with you." Minmei said as she once again turned into the Rick hunter groupie.  
  
Rick hopped into the plane and helped Minmei up onto his lap. Closing the canopy and turning on the propeller Rick taxied the small racer into takeoff position. He had never performed a mid air takeoff before but Rick was willing to give anything a try once. The small plane burst out of the side of the SDF1 and headed for the island below. Rick hoped his adventure with the SDF1 was over and done with.  
  
******  
  
The crew of the SDF1 was busy trying to ward off the onslaught of Zentreadi invaders. It seemed no matter what they did the battle pods kept coming towards the huge battle cruiser. Captain Gloval tried to think of a way to shake off the alien invasion forces and gain the upper hand in the battle. At this pint in the battle he was open and desperate enough to try anything to save his crew from being slaughtered.  
  
As the captain thought about every possible escape plan imaginable he came to the same conclusion the SDF1 just wouldn't be able to get away fast enough. In his mind the only way to get away from the aliens was to perform a space fold jump to the far side of the moon. It was a risk worth taking and Henry Gloval was willing to take it he just hoped his crew would be too.  
  
"Mina contact the engine room and tell them to prepare the space fold engines we are going to execute a space fold jump and outrun the alien ships." The captain told her.  
  
"Aye, aye sir." Mina replied before beginning to contact the engine room.  
  
"Sir, are you sure it's wise to use the space fold engines when we've never tested them?" Claudia wanted to know.  
  
"I don't know what might happen but that's a risk I'm willing to take in order to save the lives of thousands of innocent people." The captain explained, "Now then, Mina tell the engine room to have the space fold engines on standby. Lisa I want you to begin a decent towards the surface of the planet when we reach one thousand fee above the surface we will engage the space fold engines and execute the jump."  
  
"Captain that's suicide." Claudia protested.  
  
"As I said before that is a risk I'm willing to take." He restated.  
  
"Captain, what's our intended jump destination?" Mina needed to know.  
  
"The far side of the moon Mina." The captain told her.  
  
Mina relayed the information the captain gave her to the engine room to have the space fold engines on standby and allow the bridge to execute the jump.  
  
Lisa then sent the message to the entire crew of the SDF1 to prepare for the space fold jump.  
  
"All personnel standby to prepare for a space fold jump. Repeat all personnel standby to prepare for a space fold jump."  
  
The SDF1 began its decent towards the surface of the planet. As it descended closer and closer to the planet's surface Lisa began watching the altimeter for the intended jump height.  
  
"Captain, we've reached eleven hundred feet above the surface." Lisa informed the captain.  
  
"Begin the jump sequence, when we've reached one thousand feet execute the space jump." The captain ordered.  
  
"Aye sir. We are now at one thousand fifty feet and closing." She replied.  
  
"Execute the jump on my mark." The captain said, "NOW!"  
  
******  
  
Meanwhile as this was going on outside the people in the underground shelter were worried about what was going on outside. Amy's mother was busy tending to the wounded while the guys helped keep the others calm. Hotaru as staying near Sammy and the rest of Serena's family since she really didn't want to bother Amy's mother while she did her work. All was peaceful until the ground started to shake and then all of a sudden it got really cold. Everyone huddled together for warmth. Sammy swore he saw Serena and Mina's cats Luna and Artemis cuddled around Hotaru, which to him meant she must know them. Then just as suddenly the earthquakes stopped but it got ever colder and Amy's mother began to thing hypothermia would occur she only hoped help would come soon.  
  
One thousand feet above Macross Island a great sphere of light encircled the SDF1. As the light engulfed the battle cruiser it began to grow ever larger surrounding all that was in its path. The small orange experimental aircraft that was moments earlier inside a hanger on the SDF1 had no chance to escape the light of the fold. The island below was also left without a way to escape the impending doom. A few minutes after the order to begin the space fold jump was given by Captain Henry Gloval on board the SDF1 the battle cruiser, a small experimental airplane, two large aircraft carriers, and an entire island disappeared from the face of the earth.  
  
On board the bridge of the SDF1 Corporal Rei Hino had a vision of impending doom.  
  
TBC  
  
Please tell me what you think so far! Remember to Read Sailor Moon Macross by Chibi Halo. And if this story looks somewhat like hers, well remember it is because I used some of her idea's, However, I was given permission to use them so don't go doing it yourself unless you ask her please! 


	3. Part 3

Disclaimer: I do not now or have I ever owned the characters of Sailor Moon, Robotech. People I want to say something about Miss Lynn Minmei. I don't like her. I like the Rick/Lisa romance and Minmei just gets in the way. So if you like her don't read this, however, if you want to see a new bitchy side to Minmei please enjoy! At first she'll be nice until the Miss Macross pageant then watch out people Rick will leave her in the dust for Lisa don't worry I slowly bring Rick and Lisa together. Again I want to thank Chibi Halo who wrote 'Sailor Moon Macross' without this story wouldn't have existed. As always please R&R this so I know how it is coming across to people! Chibi Halo I would like to know what you think as well! Chibi Halo there might be a few scenes in my story but I pray you won't mind. One more thing for the beginning of the first few chapters I will use your chapter names, I will come up with my own after the last chapter you named. People who haven't read her story yet please do it is a great read! Please enjoy and now on with the story! This is the only Disclaimer I will write! I just wanted to thank Chibi Halo for being my beta reader!  
  
Robotech Warriors Book 1 By thunderbird with Sections From Chibi Halo  
  
The SDF1 executed the Space fold and disappeared from the face of the Earth taking with it an Island, a small plane, and two high powered aircraft carriers. As the Super Dimensional Fortress traveled through space three things went terribly wrong. The space fold engines began to melt down and fail, the entire population of Macross Island and countless other innocent bystanders aboard the aircraft carriers and the small plane were caught in the fold, and the fold miscalculated the final destination of the jump bypassing the far side of the moon. As the SDF1 rematerialized from the fold the Island and two aircraft carriers landed on the surface of a cold and desolate world. The small plane was immediately covered in a sheet of ice. For now the SDF1 was also safe from harm.  
  
The two occupants of the small plane awoke to find themselves floating in the middle of nowhere out in space. Wiping the frost from the canopy of the plane the pilot saw the SDF1 not to far from where they were. He knew something had gone wrong and they were in a lot of trouble. To make things worse the Earth was nowhere to be found. Below them was a frozen wasteland of ice.  
  
The SDF1 floated above the small ice covered wasteland in total darkness. The ship's systems had gone offline leaving the bridge of the SDF1 in total darkness as well. The crew scrambled to get the ship wide systems back online. When the lights went back on in the bridge the crew got a surprise of a lifetime when they saw where they were.  
  
*****  
  
Part 3: The Dark side of Pluto  
  
*****  
  
Meanwhile inside the emergency underground shelter things were getting worse. The people were beginning to suffer from hypothermia and Kathy Mizuno was desperately trying to keep them warm. With things looking bleak Justin decided it was time to act before people died from the cold.  
  
"That's it guys I'm not letting these people die!" He said.  
  
"Justin what are you going to do?" Kevin asked.  
  
"I'm going to start a fire and warm these people up!" he told him.  
  
"Buddy I hate to tell you this but we don't know how much oxygen is left in here and we don't know how long we'll be stuck down here!" Zack informed Justin.  
  
"Zack I hate to say this but right now your friend has the right idea. If we don't warm these people up they may die!" Kathy told Zack.  
  
"But won't we run out of air?" He asked.  
  
"Under the circumstances I think people would rather die warm than cold!" Kathy put back.  
  
"I guess ma'am but I'm just worried that we'll run out of air before help gets here!" Zack informed her.  
  
"Zack calm down I'm sure the SDF1 knows we're here where ever we are that suddenly made it freeze!" Kevin shot back to his youngest friend.  
  
"Thanks Kev. I needed a dose of reality! If we die from this cold before help gets here than there will be no saving us, however, you're right that if Justin's idea saves us for just a little longer than maybe we should try it!" Zack said finally giving into the idea.  
  
Kevin walked up to Justin and whispered, "Just make sure no one sees how you make that fire Justin! I don't think you would like our secret getting out right now right?" Kevin asked.  
  
"Understood! I'll gather what ever wood is down here and begin!" Justin said heading off.  
  
After Justin walked off to find the means to the end of his task. Over by Hotaru, Sammy decided it was time for the old question and answer game. He knew that the two cats that laid on her lap belonged to Serena and her blonde friend Mina so he kind of figured that she must know them.  
  
"Excuse me but Hotaru was it? May I ask you a personal question?" Sammy asked.  
  
"Sure what's up? Your Sammy right Serena's brother? She talks about you a lot!" Hotaru asked.  
  
"She does? All bad I'm sure! Anyway How do you know my sister?" he asked her.  
  
"Oh long story! Let's just say we met through your cousin Rini!" Hotaru partially lied for she did meet Serena through Rini. The only lie was the fact that Rini was Serena's future daughter from the 30th century.  
  
"Oh I see well what brought you to Macross in the first place?" Sammy asked.  
  
"Well you see my foster parents! Serena's older friends joined the RDF as well! And since I'm living with them I was given permission to stay with them on the base!" Hotaru told him.  
  
"Oh I see!" He said.  
  
Elsewhere in the underground shelter deep in the shadows a luminous green cloud appeared and because it was in shadow no one would have seen it. A second later a tall figure stepped out of the cloud. She had long dark green-black hair that went down to you waist. And she wore a dark green and purple sailor scout uniform. She was the scout of the planet the poor people of this city were on and she had to make sure that all was to happen the way it was suppose to! After closing the portal to the gates of time Sailor Pluto detransformed and walked out of the shadows as Trista Meiou. Trista knew these people would be saved, however, she also knew she'd have to look out for her younger friends in this time and period. So she set out to find the youngest of the nine sailor scouts. As she walked through the freezing shelter she caught a glimpse of the four generals. Then she saw the person she'd been looking for over in a corner near Serena's mother and father Hotaru Tomoe was sitting with a 19 year old Sammy Tuskino. Trista smiled at this site for she knew that some how these two would get together and be just like several other couples on the huge ship outside. As she walked up to the group of people she saw Justin putting anything wooden in several piles so he could help keep people warm for as long as possible. Zack Amy's boyfriend was helping Kathy Mizuno Amy's mother to try and keep people warm. Nathan helped by passing out the day's rations. While Kevin ever vigilant played high and mighty leader more so cause he didn't know what to do so he just sat there and waited to be needed. When Trista walked up to the two young adults she saw that Hotaru's communicator was broken and she knew that in order to be saved that small device would need to be fixed but she couldn't tell them how to escape for although she was now aloud to stay with the others. She still was forbidden to help them figure out things that would help them get out of this predicament.  
  
******  
  
Elsewhere on board the SDF1 the bridge crew was shocked to find out what laid before them Claudia upon doing a scan found that below them stood the tiny planet of Pluto and that the entire Island and the two aircraft carriers were on the surface.  
  
"Captain we have a major problem out there!" Claudia announced to Captain Gloval.  
  
"What is it Claudia?" The captain asked.  
  
"Sir from what I can see we've bypassed our original coordinates and come up behind Pluto! But I'm afraid that's not all sir!" Claudia said looking alittle angry.  
  
"What else is it Claudia?" Gloval asked looking green in the skin.  
  
"Sir exactly what I was afraid of sir! When we fold jumped we ended up taking the two aircraft carriers plus the entire Macross Island!" she told him really looking mad now.  
  
"Oh all those poor people!" Mina stated.  
  
"Not for long Mina not for long! Okay Mina I want you to call med. Bay have them prepare of the sick and injured! And Lisa I want you to call out the Veritech squads to search for the missing people that are no doubt in that city! Michelle try and raise the aircraft carriers and see if they are alright! Oh and Mina also see if the engineers can devise a way to attach the Prometheus and Dadelous to the SDF1!" The captain ordered.  
  
"Aye Sir!" The three women said.  
  
"This is the bridge calling Med. Bay! Amy can you hear me? We may have sick and wounded people coming on board and we'll need you on stand by as soon as they get on board!" Mina told her friend over the radio.  
  
"We'll be ready down here Mina!" Amy's voice came back over.  
  
"Bridge to engineering room! Bridge to engineering room come in please!" Mina asked.  
  
"Engineering room go ahead bridge!" the voice called back.  
  
"We have a problem up here that needs your help in solving!" Mina told them.  
  
"And that is ma'am?" they asked her.  
  
"The Prometheus and Dadelous were both stuck on the Planet Pluto as soon as we fold jumped. The captain wishes for you to find a way to attach the two ships to the SDF1!" Mina informed them.  
  
"Tell the captain we're on it ma'am!" The voice said.  
  
"Thank you! Captain Med. Bay is on stand by and the engineers are working on a plan to attach the two aircraft carriers as we speak!" Mina informed Captain Gloval.  
  
"Good job corporal! Michelle how goes communications with the two ships?" Gloval asked.  
  
"Sir the aircraft carriers haven't reported in yet!" Michelle said.  
  
"Okay thank you Michelle keep trying! Lisa that is your que to dispatch the Veritech squads to start a rescue party!" The Captain informed her.  
  
"Aye sir! Attention all Veritech pilots prepare for standard search and rescue procedures." Lisa ordered.  
  
******  
  
Meanwhile down in the ready room Amara was sitting just reading a book when the call went out to do a search and rescue. As she was about to rise Roy stepped into the room.  
  
"Amara do you know anything?" Roy asked.  
  
"No Lt. Commander sorry!" she informed him but just as she said that her communicator went off. Amara bent down and tried to look at her communicator in such a way as not to draw attention to herself by the Lt. Commander. She failed miserably for he saw her doing it.  
  
"This is Amara go ahead!" Amara said.  
  
"Amara it's me Michelle! We have a problem!" Michelle's voice sounded scared.  
  
"Michelle calm down and tell me what's wrong!" Amara said.  
  
"Okay sorry Amara!" Michelle said.  
  
"Don't be sorry just tell me!" Amara ordered.  
  
"Well we preformed the space fold jump as ordered only we took the entire Island and the two aircraft carriers too! That, however, isn't all we over shot our destination!" Michelle said her friend.  
  
"We did what? Then where the heck are we? Oh and Michelle don't worry the guys and I will save them okay?" Amara informed her.  
  
"We landed on the other side of Pluto! Yeah and Amara thanks!" Michelle said. Then the communicator went off.  
  
"So what is it?" Roy asked.  
  
"Michelle said when we preformed the space fold jump we took Macross Island as well as the two aircraft carriers with us to the other side of Pluto!" Amara told him.  
  
"Looks like we over did things a bit. Oh well as long as the two civilians I helped out earlier are okay then I don't see anything wrong with a little search and rescue."  
  
"You don't have anything to worry about then but I do. My foster daughter and my best friends' cats are down there. I have three people I can't let down. I have to bring them back safely."  
  
"Well good luck."  
  
"Damn let's go!" Roy ordered when he remembered the planet they were talking about.  
  
"Yes sir!" she said following him out the door.  
  
******  
  
Amara wasn't the only one worried about someone down on the surface of the planet. Serena was going out of her mind worrying about her family, friends and Luna. As she raced to the hanger Serena hoped her best friend and guardian was all right. Mina gave Serena the news of their location right after Lisa had ordered the Veritech pilots to begin the search and rescue procedures.  
  
True to form and nature Serena crashed into someone while rushing to her fighter. Serena found herself sprawled over Darien who had been knocked over by her many times since they first met. As Serena peeled herself off her boyfriend she apologized for running into him.  
  
"Sorry about that Darien." Serena said.  
  
"No need to apologize Serena you were in an obvious rush to get to the hangers." He told her.  
  
"Yeah but I should have been watching where I was going. My mind was elsewhere."  
  
"What were you thinking about?"  
  
"My family and friends long with Luna!" Was the answer she gave him.  
  
"But aren't they all with Hotaru and Artemis?"  
  
"That's just it. The island got caught up in the jump and now they're on the planet below us."  
  
"Then we'd better hurry."  
  
******  
  
Roy got to the hanger only to find his Veritech and the damaged fighter Rick had 'borrowed' during the initial battle with the Zentreadi. He knew Rick and the girl had used his plane to go back to the island. The search and rescue mission the captain had ordered became personal. Roy now had to find his 'little brother' and his new friend before it was too late. Roy wished Rick had listened to him and stayed on board the SDF1.  
  
Roy hopped into his Veritech and began take off procedures. He now knew what Amara was feeling when she found out the little girl she cared for was in danger. Roy didn't know how long they would be able to survive in space. He hoped they made it to the island and got into the city's shelters before the fold. If they didn't then it was going to be a race against the clock.  
  
******  
  
Rick knew he and Minmei needed to get back to the SDF1 before they froze to death. The heaters in the small experimental plane, like everything else, were barely working. To make matters worse the rear propeller was frozen over and not working. The rudders however were barely turning which offered Rick some comfort. But the biggest relief came when the boosters on the plane were able to fire offering the pair of teenagers some means of returning to the battlecruiser.  
  
As Rick maneuvered the small plane towards the battlecruiser he spotted a hole in the ship's hull. It wasn't the hanger he was hoping for but in his current situation anything was better than floating in space without the proper equipment. Rick fired the boosters on the plane to push it closer to the hole. Piloting the small craft proved difficult with Minmei in his lap. The one-person cockpit was beginning to feel like a sardine can.  
  
As the plane entered the hole in the ship Rick discovered the landing gears were malfunctioning. The plane would have to do a belly landing.  
  
"Hold on tight we're going to have to make an emergency landing." Rick informed Minmei.  
  
Minmei wrapped her arms tightly around Rick's neck cutting off all air and circulation. Rick's face began to turn red as the young pilot struggled for air.  
  
"Not that tight." He told her.  
  
Minmei loosened her grip on Rick's neck. The young daredevil pilot took a few labored breaths before preparing for the belly landing. The plane struggled to keep its nose up as Rick maneuvered it into the opening. The small plane bounced once before skidding to a halt in the large deserted cargo hold. The plane's two passengers were safe for now.  
  
******  
  
The skull squadron like many other Veritech squads was busy searching the city for survivors. It was amazing how the entire island and two aircraft carriers remained in tact after the fold. Serena and the others tried to do their best without their commanding officer. At the moment Lt. Commander Roy Fokker was busy with his own search and rescue mission. With him gone the leadership role fell on the shoulders of one Serena Tuskino.  
  
Serena was doing a pretty good job of leading the squad through the city. It helped that Darien, Lita, and Amara were there for backup and support. And while Amara was concerned for Hotaru's safety, Serena and Lita were worried about Serena's Family, the guys, Amy, Mina and Rei's families as well as for Luna and Artemis. The three female members of the squad were going out of their minds with worry. And so far they hadn't spotted a single survivor.  
  
"This is Commander Lisa Hayes calling Skull Squadron come in please." The voice called out over the com. system sounding quite frustrated.  
  
"This is Corporal Tuskino go ahead commander." Serena responded.  
  
"Corporal where is Lt. Commander Fokker?" the commander asked her.  
  
"He didn't join the squad when we began the rescue mission. His Veritech was in the hanger where he took the two civilians he helped out during the initial battle with the aliens. We all figured he would catch up with us but no one has seen him since the ready room." Serena explained.  
  
"Then who's leading your squad corporal?" Lisa wanted to know.  
  
"I am commander." Serena told her.  
  
"Alright then continue with what you've been doing corporal! I'll try and contact Lt. Commander Fokker and have him return to the squad." Lisa said.  
  
******  
  
Roy was going out of his mind trying to find Rick and Minmei. So far he hadn't seen them anywhere in the city. Not knowing where the shelters were located wasn't helping things any either. This was like searching for a needle in a haystack.  
  
Roy had thought he was on a secure channel but when the com. system on his Veritech began to go off Roy knew he was in trouble. There before him on the tiny screen was every pilot's worst nightmare Commander Lisa Hayes and she didn't look too happy.  
  
"Lt. Commander Fokker return to your squad at once." Lisa yelled at him.  
  
"But commander my best friend is somewhere out there." Roy tried to explain.  
  
"I gave you an order lieutenant commander now either you follow them or you return to the SDF1 so you can be thrown into the brig." She said continuing to yell at him.  
  
"Yes commander." Roy answered a bit down.  
  
******  
  
Things were not going well on the bridge of the SDF1. Claudia was still mad at the captain. Lisa was now livid over the stunt Roy pulled. And Mina and Michelle were worried out of their minds about Hotaru, Mina's family, Kevin and Artemis. To top it all off reports were now coming in from every part of the ship some good and some bad.  
  
"Captain, ship wide sensors indicate numerous hull breaches throughout the ship." Mina told him.  
  
"Begin procedures to seal off all hull breaches." The captain ordered.  
  
"Aye sir." Lisa said.  
  
"Sir I'm receiving transmissions from both the Prometheus and the Dadelous they say that all personnel are present and accounted for and the carriers are unharmed." Michelle reported.  
  
"Good. Mina call down to engineering and see how the planning for attaching the ships is coming! I also want you to call the engine room and check on the status of the engines." The captain said to the girls.  
  
"Aye sir." Mina began, "Sir I'm receiving a transmission from the engine room right now. They say they wish to speak with you directly."  
  
"This is Captain Gloval go ahead." The captain said.  
  
"Sir I've got some good news and some bad news for you. First the good news. The main engines received no damage during the fold and should be back on line soon, and now for the bad news sir. The Space Fold Engines were completely fried by the fold. We've looked at every possible way of trying to repair them but the alien technology is making that impossible. I'm afraid we've just lost any way of getting home in any reasonable amount of time sir." The engineer reported.  
  
"Thank you for that information." Gloval replied.  
  
The bridge was silent as the crew digested the latest piece of information. Everyone wondered what was going to happen next. The people of Macross City were going to be staying on the ship a lot longer than they originally thought. The next few days were going to be hard on everyone.  
  
"Captain if you don't mind my asking but what are we going to do with all the people from the city?" Lisa asked voicing the question on everyone's mind.  
  
"The answer is simple we help them build temporary housing in the internal cargo hold of the ship. It should be big enough to hold all of them until we reach the Earth." The captain replied.  
  
"What's our next move sir?" Claudia wondered.  
  
"After we get all the civilians on board we go about repairing the ship and attach the carriers to the SDF1. Once that is done we begin the long trip back to Earth." Gloval explained.  
  
******  
  
The citizens of Macross City huddled together in the underground shelters trying to stay warm. Justin had already started the fires to help try and keep them warm as well. This, however, wouldn't last long and the people who bunched up around the warm blazes knew this. They were just thankful someone cared enough to try and help them out. Trista watched as Hotaru was busy messing with her communicator while Sammy huddled up against her to help her stay warm. Just then the guys noticed Trista standing there for the first time.  
  
"Trista how long have you been there?" Kevin asked.  
  
"Oh long enough to see that!" Trista smiled as she pointed at Sammy and Hotaru.  
  
"Oh great Amara and Michelle will kill us and this time we're not brainwashed to be evil!" he commented.  
  
"Kevin those two are adults!" Trista said.  
  
Just then Serena and Sammy's father walked up to them. "They might be adults, however, I told Serena and I'll tell Sammy no getting intimate until after your married!" he said.  
  
"Ah hello Mr. Tuskino! Where is your wife?" Nathan asked.  
  
"Over helping your friend Zack and Amy's mother." Kenji told him. Just then Kenji saw what Hotaru was doing. As he walked up to her he asked, "Hello young lady may I help you with that piece of equipment?"  
  
Hotaru looked up to him and then towards Trista who smiled and nodded her acceptance for allowing him to help her out. "Thank you I can't get it to work!" she told him. She had tried a number of times to get a hold of Amara and Michelle on her communicator to let them know she was all right. But her current location along with the atmosphere and the fact she was two stories below ground in a subbasement was making that virtually impossible. At the moment trying to get a hold of her foster parents and letting them know she was okay was the farthest thing from her mind. Right now the most important thing was keeping Luna and Artemis warm. The two cats were huddled close to the small Scout wrapped in one of the blankets kept in the shelter for long stays. The people then noticed the sad look on her face.  
  
"Hotaru are you alright?" Kevin asked looking worried.  
  
"I just hope they find us soon." Hotaru said to her friends.  
  
"I'm sure they will once you fix your spy communicator!" Trista said for all those who didn't know the truth about the scouts and generals.  
  
However, Hotaru wasn't the only one wondering when they would be rescued. Half the people in the shelter were voicing the same concern she had. The mayor of the city decided to address the people in the shelter in hopes of calming them down.  
  
"Citizens of Macross City I know you're cold and tired but don't worry. I realize that something has gone wrong but I assure you steps to return all of us to Earth are underway as we speak. Until then we're going to have to ration our emergency rations. I know this is a bit extreme but we don't know how long we'll be in the shelters. Have faith in the military they're doing everything they can to help us. Keep warm and try and get some sleep. Stay close to your loved ones and keep the blankets around you. I know in the end we'll be just fine." The mayor said.  
  
"But what if they don't find us. We could all freeze to death down here." Someone yelled out.  
  
Hotaru stood up and came out of her corner of the shelter. She joined the mayor in front of people of Macross City. She had one last hope of trying to contact any one of the Scouts other then Pluto who was there with her. Someone in the shelter had opted in helping to repair the communicator and she knew with it working they'd get out.  
  
"Excuse me but I believe I can help us escape!" She said holding up her wrist communicator.  
  
"Listen young lady this is no time to be joking with people." The mayor said to her.  
  
"This is not a joke as you put it sir! It's a communicator. With the help of one of my friends fathers! I believe we might just get out of here!" Hotaru explained.  
  
"And who do you know who could help us?" Minmei's uncle asked her.  
  
"I have eight friends on the SDF1 and seven of them have communicators like mine. I could contact any one of them. Three of them work on the bridge. Four of them are pilots and one of them works in the infirmary. I'd say that's pretty good help right there." Hotaru explained.  
  
"You know my daughter?" Kathy Mizuno asked walking up behind the mayor.  
  
"Yes ma'am I do! In fact I know all the girls!" Hotaru said looking towards all the inner scout's relatives.  
  
"Well then let's give this little lady some help." The mayor said.  
  
"Already prepared to do that sir! Hello I'm Captain Kenji Tuskino of the RDF. With a little elbow grease and a little ingenuity I believe I can help this little girl get all of us out of here!" Kenji said.  
  
"Well then by all means sir please do what ever you must to help us all get out of here!" The mayor said.  
  
******  
  
Rick and Minmei hadn't been in the cargo hold very long when the automatic measures to seal off the hull breach activated covering the hole they had come through. The two teenagers had gotten out of the plane and were now assessing their current situation. One look at his plane and Rick knew she would never be able to fly again. But the most important thing was getting out of the cargo hold.  
  
"Well that's the end of my plane." Rick said.  
  
"Oh that's too bad. I hope we can find our way out of here." Minmei replied.  
  
"I don't think this area's been used by anyone in years. I doubt if anyone will ever find us here." Rick told her.  
  
"Now I'll never see my family again." Minmei said as she started to cry.  
  
"Hey don't cry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I just meant that they wouldn't know where to find us." Rick apologized.  
  
"That's okay. It's just that this whole situation has me a bit scared is all. I've never been away from my family for more than a week." Minmei told Rick.  
  
"Well it looks like we're going to be down here for a while. I have some jerky and dried fruit in my plane for long flights so at least we have some food. And we could use those tarps over there for bedding and blankets. We're gonna be just fine."  
  
******  
  
Serena was about to give up all hope of ever finding anyone alive down in the city. The lieutenant commander had rejoined the squad and informed them that his initial search was a bust. Roy didn't sound too pleased to be back with the squad. In the back of her mind Serena wished Trista were around to tell her everything would work out for the better but the guardian of time and the princess of the planet below was unreachable. Little did Serena know that Trista was already on the planet helping to save the people of Macross Island. All Serena could do now was hope and pray that it would all workout. It was then she heard a faint beep.  
  
Serena looked down at her communicator and saw the small dark blue light flashing signaling Hotaru had set off her distress beacon. The light was faint and there was a long pause between each flash indicating to Serena that she was nowhere near Hotaru's present location. Serena knew she would need some help with this one and hoped that Lita and Amara had noticed the signal as well.  
  
"Lita, Amara it's Serena. Do you two have your communicators on you?" Serena called over their private channel.  
  
"Yeah why?" Lita wanted to know.  
  
"Take a look at it. Hotaru's indicator light is flashing. It may not be strong and steady but it's flashing. She must have turned on her distress beacon." Serena told her.  
  
"I see it too but it's faint." Amara said.  
  
"Mine's a bit stronger." Lita told them.  
  
"Good I figure if we fly around the city we're bound to get a good strong signal. My thinking is we should split up. We can cover more ground that way. The first one to get a good signal should not only inform the others but the lieutenant commander and the ship as well." Serena explained.  
  
Both Lita and Amara were a bit surprised at the strong leadership qualities Serena was starting to display. They knew this day would eventually come but they didn't know if it was because Serena was finally maturing mentally or if it was their friends and families well being and safety that was the main factor. The three friends set off in separate directions to look for their small teammate and the citizens of Macross City.  
  
******  
  
The hours seemed to pass by quite slow for Rick and Minmei. At first all their time was occupied with gathering the things necessary for their survival. The two teenagers dragged the heavy tarps over to the plane. Rick then climbed back into the plane and pulled out the bags of dried fruit and jerky he had in the plane. Rick didn't know how long they would be in the cargo hold and hoped the food supply wouldn't run out on them. Once the makeshift camp was established the two teens sat under the wing of the experimental plane in silence.  
  
"I'm thirsty do you have anything to drink in your plane?" Minmei said breaking the silence.  
  
"I'm afraid not but I could cut into the lines that run to the cooling system. There should be enough water in there to last us for some time if we ration it." Rick told her.  
  
"That would be wonderful." Minmei replied.  
  
Rick hopped back up into the plane and pulled out his emergency tool set and began cutting away at the appropriate place to access the cooling system. He hoped the water tank was more than half full. Rick hated having to hack up his plane but it was the only way the two would ever survive.  
  
The water from the plane wasn't cold but it was cool enough to drink. The pair knew that the only way they would survive would be to have water. If the food ran out they would always have the water. Both Rick and Minmei hoped and prayed that they would be found soon. A few short moments after they had their ration of water Minmei drifted off to sleep. Rick sat there watching Minmei sleep while he thought things over. She's not so bad for a kid, he thought before drifting off to sleep.  
  
******  
  
Michelle was relieved when she received word that the Skull Squadron had located the civilian shelters. She knew their success was due in part to some quick thinking on Hotaru's part. Somehow the small Scouts was able to get her communicator working. The very faint distress signal had confirmed that.  
  
It had been a few hours since the commander of the Skull Squad had called the bridge of the SDF1. Michelle, Mina, Rei, and Amy were now waiting in the hanger for the transport to return from the city with the citizens of Macross City their families and the two lunar cats. Mina couldn't wait to get her arms around her parents, Kevin, and Artemis and smother them with hugs and kisses. Michelle was playing the role of the worried mother hoping Hotaru was all right and hadn't had an attack while on the planet. Amy was there more to give the survivors the once over and check for signs of frostbite, however, she was worried about her mother and Zack. Rei came not only to give moral support but also to greet her grandfather and boyfriend Justin.  
  
"I hope she's okay." Michelle said.  
  
"Don't worry if she's had an attack or has any signs of frostbite I can take her and the others to the infirmary and have the doctors look them over." Amy told her.  
  
"I just hope your palmtop has cat anatomy charts in there because I don't think there are any vets on this ship." Mina said.  
  
"That's part of the reason I volunteered to help with the survivors." Amy replied.  
  
"Who would have ever thought that meatball headed Serena would actually come up with a good plan on her own." Rei commented.  
  
As the transports landed the Scouts present in the hanger waited for one of their own to come out. Scores of civilians exited transport after transport all the while Amy did her job while Michelle watched and waited for Hotaru to get off.  
  
The last transport plane to land in the hanger had the least amount of passengers on it. The first to step off were four gentlemen, a tall dark green haired woman who was walking with an equally tall blue haired lady. Behind them was Serena's family followed by the mayor and his staff plus a small girl with dark hair and a pasty white complexion who was next to Serena's father. The girl was unmistakable she was Hotaru. Not too far behind her were Luna and Artemis who both looked happy to get off the planet.  
  
Michelle didn't know whether she should cry or run up and hug Hotaru. Amy who was happy her mother was safe checked on the first to disembark the plane then went to make certain Hotaru was in one piece. After a quick scan from her data computer Amy gave Michelle a nod that let her know everything was okay and she could see Hotaru before moving on to the lunar cats.  
  
Before Michelle could get close to Hotaru the mayor stepped in between the two Outer Scouts.  
  
"Young lady just what do you think you're doing?" he demanded to know.  
  
"I think I'm going to go see my daughter." Michelle said to the mayor.  
  
"It's okay sir that's Michelle-mama my foster mother." Hotaru explained.  
  
"But Miss Tomoe I thought you said that pilot who found us was your foster mother." The mayor said quite confused.  
  
"Well yes but I think of her more as my papa." Hotaru told him.  
  
The mayor who didn't want to go into any specifics about Hotaru's home life let the little girl see the aqua haired woman in front of him. It was obvious she knew the woman quite well.  
  
******  
  
The captain of the SDF1 met with the mayor shortly after the arrival of the citizens of Macross City. Both men didn't think they would see each other quite soon after the incident in the limo while on route to the SDF1. Now they had no choice because the lives of thousands of individuals depended on the decisions made by the two men.  
  
Captain Gloval informed the mayor of his decision to allow the people of Macross full access to the interior Bay of the ship. The unused part of the ship would be large enough to house all of the citizens of Macross in temporary housing until the ship returned to Earth. The captain also explained to the mayor that their return to Earth would most likely be at least a year away due to the fact that the Space Fold Engines were no longer operational. The mayor understood what the current situation was and wanted a few minor details cleared up by the captain before speaking to the people of his city.  
  
"Captain Gloval when are you planning on beginning our return trip to Earth?" the mayor asked.  
  
"There are a few things we must do before we can leave for Earth. The two carriers that were in the harbor at the time of the alien attack were also brought to the surface of the planet. Once we retrieve the crews and finish connecting the two carriers to the SDF1 we will be head for the Earth." The captain explained to the mayor.  
  
"That sounds like the logical thing to do." The mayor commented trying to butter up the captain.  
  
"Yes we feel the Prometheus and the Dadelous can be of great use to us."  
  
"Captain if you don't mind my asking just what were you planning to with us?"  
  
"Well we decided to allow you and your people to use this area for housing facilities until we reach Earth. As you can see it is quite large and can accommodate all of the people of Macross."  
  
"That I understand but what I want to know is how are we going to live here? Will we be subjected to living in tents like refugees or will we be able to try and rebuild the city?"  
  
"You can do whatever you want to in order to live normal lives on this ship."  
  
"Do you think this ship will be able to hold the buildings of the downtown area inside it?"  
  
The captain was quite certain that if he understood what the mayor was planning on doing so he decided to clarify the mayor's last question.  
  
"Mr. Mayor let me get this straight are you actually planning on moving the city inside the ship?"  
  
"Please my name is Tommy Luan, and if it will fit that's what I intend on doing. So do you think it will?"  
  
"I believe a good portion will be able to."  
  
"Good then I'll have the local architects and construction crews meet with your engineers before we begin rebuilding. The sooner we get your people and the people of my city working together the better it will be for both sides."  
  
******  
  
Roy was in a foul mood. He wasn't mad at anyone specifically but he was mad. The only person Roy was mad at was Roy. The commanding officer of the Skull Squadron was constantly kicking himself in the pants over Rick's disappearance. It was one thing that Rick was gone but he was somewhere with a girl from the city. Roy felt as though he were personally responsible for the missing girl.  
  
Claudia had noticed Roy's foul mood and decided that the simple dinner for two she had planned would now be a dinner for six. She wanted to have something that would take his mind off the current situation and a small dinner party would do just the thing. Claudia had extended her invitation to Michelle and Amara and Michelle's friends Serena and Darien. With any luck the dinner party would ease Roy's mind and get him in a much better mood. Just then the doorbell rang.  
  
"Thank you for coming. The old grouch is sitting on my couch over there." Claudia said to Amara and Michelle as she answered the door.  
  
"Thank you for inviting us lieutenant." Michelle replied.  
  
"Your friend Serena seemed pretty excited about coming tonight." Claudia commented.  
  
"Anything that allows those two to be a public couple is a big deal in her book." Amara said.  
  
"You did notice the age difference between them. That was part of the reason they kept the relationship out of the public eye when she was in high school, I think it had something to do with her father at least that's what Rei and Mina have told me." Michelle told Claudia.  
  
A few minutes later the bell rang once more and Claudia went to answer it. Standing on the other side of the door was Serena and Darien. Serena was hanging off Darien's arm with a huge smile on her face. Darien was just glad to have an evening free of any thought of the recent situation.  
  
"Come on in. Dinner should be ready soon. Roy's over on the couch." Claudia told them.  
  
"Thanks for the invitation lieutenant. I hope you made enough food because Serena here can eat enough for an entire army." Darien said jokingly.  
  
"Ha, ha Darien. Real funny." Serena shot back.  
  
Serena took one look towards the couch and saw Roy sulking. Serena knew right away that something was wrong. Going over to the couch Serena sat down next to Roy ready to dispense her distinctive brand of therapeutic conversation.  
  
"You look like you could use a sympathetic ear lieutenant commander." Serena offered.  
  
"You probably wouldn't understand it if I told you." He said.  
  
"Try me because you never know. I just might surprise you."  
  
"If you insist. You remember the whole incident with the stray Veritech during the initial alien attack. Well the pilot in the fighter was a friend of mine from my days before the military. I thought I had left him in one of the hangers with a girl from the city that we rescued during the attack. But when I went to go get my Veritech he wasn't there and neither was his plane. I'm assuming he tried to get the girl back to the city. I don't know if they got caught up in the fold or not because I couldn't find them during the search and rescue. I'm hoping they're okay. I feel responsible for them corporal. I don't know how I could face Rick's parents or the girl's family if something tragic happened."  
  
"So that's why the commander was looking for you. Look I've been in your shoes before and believe me it does you no good to beat yourself up over what happened. I've had all the ups and downs in life and I've learned that all it takes are a few good friends to give you support and lend a shoulder to cry on. You obviously have someone who loves you in Lieutenant Grant."  
  
"I guess your right but what would you know about feeling helpless about someone being missing and not knowing where to even begin looking for them."  
  
That statement brought back Serena's memories of loosing Darien to the Dark Kingdom. She knew all too well what he was going through. The constant worrying and the not knowing if he was okay or where he was. Serena could sympathize with him fully.  
  
"I do know what it's like. And I know that it's a lot worse when it's someone you love who's missing. I was there when it happened and afterwards I wanted to give up on life. Talk to anyone of my friends who were there and they'll tell you I was no picnic to be around." Serena explained.  
  
Claudia could see that Serena was getting through to Roy. She wondered how the young woman was able to get him to open up the way he was. At the moment Roy was pouring out his heart and soul to Serena about the whole situation with Rick.  
  
"How in the world does she do that?" Claudia asked Darien.  
  
"Serena's a bit on the empathic side. She can sense a person's emotions and usually get them talking about them. I was a total wreck before she came into my life." Darien explained.  
  
When dinner was being served Roy gave Claudia one of his famous flyboy smiles. Claudia could tell that whatever Serena had said to Roy worked because he was in a better mood than when he had first arrived at Claudia's quarters.  
  
"What was that for?" Claudia wondered.  
  
"That my dear Ms. Grant was to tell you how lucky I am to have you in my life." He answered.  
  
Dinner soon got underway and Michelle could tell that the subject of the last couple of days had been kicked around enough for one night so she decided to change the topic of conversation.  
  
"I've heard from a reliable source that they're going to rebuild the city inside the ship." She said.  
  
"Who told you that?" Serena wondered.  
  
"Hotaru." Michelle answered her.  
  
"How did she learn about that?" Darien asked.  
  
"The mayor of the city wanted to repay her for what she did in the shelter and he invited her to have supper with him last night. Hotaru said that was all he could talk about during dinner. Although I think she also enjoyed have your brother there too Serena. " Amara said with a smile.  
  
"The captain hadn't said anything about that taking place to the crew yet." Claudia told them.  
  
"I'm sure the captain will say something when the time is right." Roy commented.  
  
"At least this makes up for what he did the other day. He could have killed thousands of innocent people by executing the fold that close to the island." Claudia said a bit angry.  
  
"Looks like the lieutenant commander hit one of Lieutenant Grant's buttons. That happens to be a sore subject between her and the captain." Michelle explained to the others.  
  
"To heck with that what was that about my brother and Hotaru?" Serena asked with a grin on her face.  
  
"Oh I believe our two young adults are starting to like each other!" Amara told her.  
  
"Oh man this I have got to see! Do you remember how your father was with me?" Darien asked Serena.  
  
"Yes but with us he can't really say anything anymore! With those two he gets to have a field day all over again!" Serena laughed out.  
  
"Oh yes that would be fun to see!" Darien commented.  
  
"Why what went on with your father and Darien when you were younger?" Amara asked.  
  
"Let's just say when it comes to my father Darien can be as fast as me!" Serena said behind a grin.  
  
******  
  
The days seemed to pass by slowly for Rick and Minmei. Minmei would count off the days they were in the cargo hold by scratching them into the side of what was Rick's plane. The pair passed their time by talking about this and that. Rick had learned that Minmei was living with her aunt and uncle and Minmei had learned that Rick flew racing planes in his father's air circus. That was about as personal as the conversation ever got. Every once in a while they would check things out in the cargo hold but they didn't go too far from the plane.  
  
"Wow we've been down here for a week already." Rick said in amazement as Minmei marked off another day on the side of the plane.  
  
"I don't think anyone knows we're down here Rick because if they did they would have come looking for us a long time ago." Minmei replied.  
  
"This is a big ship so even if they do know we're lost they probably don't know where to find us."  
  
"Oh I hadn't thought about that."  
  
"I know Roy will get us out of this jam. I just know he will."  
  
"You really like him don't you?"  
  
"Yeah he and I go way back. I first met him when I was six years old. That was the year he joined my family's air circus."  
  
"I hope we see them real soon Rick."  
  
"Yeah me too, me too."  
  
******  
  
Two weeks had passed since the SDF1 had executed the space fold. Life on board the battlecruiser was beginning to return to normal. The crew of the SDF1 was beginning to adjust to the changes taking place on the ship both inside and out. The addition of the Prometheus and the Dadelous to the ship added much needed space and a launching area for the Veritechs.  
  
The people of Macross were moving on with their lives as well. In the short time they were on the SDF1 they had begun to rebuild the city down to the last detail. They knew their stay on board the battlecruiser was going to be a lot longer than they had originally thought. The fact that they would have their own houses back instead of living in tents helped to brighten their spirits and get work finished a lot faster than normal. The girl's boyfriends moved in with them since they had an extra room in their crew courtiers. Serena's family was given crew courtiers since Kenji was an officer in RDF. Kathy Mizuno got a job working for Macross General and got an apartment close to work. She also took time to be with Amy when Amy wasn't around Zack all the time that is. Grandpa Hino opened up a Shinto shrine to allow for people to pray for a safe trip home. Mina's parents just moved into an apartment and enjoyed their daughters company on her time off.  
  
Rick and Minmei spent the three weeks talking about everything imaginable. Rick was trying not to go out of his mind with worry. Minmei on the other hand was taking everything with a 'grain of salt' attitude thinking of it as one big adventure. She spent each day playing the happy homemaker keeping the little area beneath the plane neat and tidy while Rick went and searched for a way out of the cargo hold. If it weren't for Minmei Rick would have given up a long time ago.  
  
******  
  
Rick watched as Minmei scratched off another day on the side of the plane. Fourteen days had come and gone since they crashed on the SDF1. The two teenagers had thought of every way possible to pass the time. The days seemed to drag on and became repetitive. Every morning Minmei would mark off another day they were in the cargo hold while Rick divided their rations for the day. Rick would spend a few hours searching for a way out of the cargo hold. And everyday he would come back and sulk for a half- hour before starting their daily conversation. Even though they talked about many different subjects Rick barely knew much about Minmei.  
  
Rick came back from his search of the cargo hold to find Minmei standing in front of the plane with a handkerchief on her head like a veil and her hands folded in a prayer like position. Rick didn't know if Minmei was flipping out or not. This was the first time she had ever done anything like this since the crash. Rick was about to ask her what she was doing when Minmei started speaking to him.  
  
"Rick I've never told you my fondest hopes and dreams. Someday I hope to get married and have two children all my own. When I was little I would play wedding with my toys lining up my dolls and marrying two of them. By the time I grew out of that phase I think I had everyone of them married. Then like all girls I would talk about what kind of wedding I would like to have. I still do that sometimes. Do you have any dreams Rick?" Minmei said.  
  
"I think I'd like to someday take over my family's air circus. If not that then maybe I'd like to become either a commercial pilot or a cargo pilot." Rick told her.  
  
"Have you ever thought about going into the military? I think you'd look cute in a uniform."  
  
"I don't really care too much for being a military pilot. I guess it had to do with Roy leaving to go into the military. I know he loves it but it really hurt the air circus business when he left. Things didn't pick up until I started flying and winning races."  
  
"You don't blame your friend for leaving you blame the military for his leaving and what it did to your family. That's why you don't like the military is it."  
  
"You could say that."  
  
"Rick if we don't make it out of here soon we're gonna have to marry each other." Minmei joked.  
  
"If we don't make it out of here soon we're gonna run out of food." Rick said being serious.  
  
Rick was careful with the rations but he had to admit they would soon run out. He didn't know how much water was left in the cooling tank. He only hoped it wouldn't run out on them before the food did. As the thought of trying to survive without food raced through his mind Rick was totally unaware of the commotion going on above him. He was soon brought back to reality when chunks of asphalt no bigger than a sandwich hit him on the head.  
  
"Now you've done it you knucklehead." A man in a hard hat yelled to another.  
  
"Okay so I didn't know the jackhammer would go through the street." The other man said.  
  
Minmei who was both excited and embarrassed at the same time was jumping up and down trying to catch the attention of the construction workers above them.  
  
"Hey up there we're down here!" she kept yelling.  
  
"Hey do you hear something down there?" the first man asked the second.  
  
"Yeah it sounds like a kid." The second one replied.  
  
The two construction workers looked down and saw Rick and Minmei in the large cargo hold below them. They were taken back to see the pair of teenagers down there. Something had to be done to get them out of there.  
  
"Call the fire department there's a couple of kids trapped down below the city." The first man yelled to the rest of the crew.  
  
Within ten minutes the Macross Fire Department was on the scene. The rescue crew began lowering ropes to the two stranded teens pulling them trough the hole in the street. When Rick and Minmei reached the street they were amazed to find the entire city inside the ship.  
  
"Wow looks like they've been busy for the past two weeks." Rick commented.  
  
TBC  
  
Please read and Review! And as always remember to read Sailor Moon Macross by Chibi Halo! Part 4: Changes. Coming soon! 


	4. Part 4

Disclaimer: I do not now nor have I ever owned the characters of Sailor Moon, Robotech. People I want to say something about Miss Lynn Minmei. I don't like her. I like the Rick/Lisa romance and Minmei just gets in the way. So if you like her don't read this, however, if you want to see a new bitchy side to Minmei please enjoy! At first she'll be nice until the Miss Macross pageant then watch out people Rick will leave her in the dust for Lisa don't worry I slowly bring Rick and Lisa together. Again I want to thank Chibi Halo who wrote 'Sailor Moon Macross' without this story wouldn't have existed. As always please R&R this so I know how it is coming across to people! Chibi Halo I would like to know what you think as well! Chibi Halo there might be a few scenes in my story but I pray you won't mind. One more thing for the beginning of the first few chapters I will use your chapter names, I will come up with my own after the last chapter you named. People who haven't read her story yet please do it is a great read! Please enjoy and now on with the story! This is the only Disclaimer I will write! I just wanted to thank Chibi Halo for being my beta reader!  
  
Authors note: When ever I am talking about Kevin, Nathan, Justin and Zack as a group I will refer to them as the four earth generals as that is what they were suppose to be in the manga before Beryl brainwashed them!  
  
Robotech Warriors Book 1 By thunderbird with Sections From Chibi Halo  
  
Rick and Minmei had survived for two weeks on their own. It had been fourteen days since the botched space fold and what awaited the two teenagers was a whole new world they didn't know existed, inside the belly of the SDF1 stood Macross City. It may have been a bit smaller but it was still the same city Minmei called home.  
  
Minmei couldn't wait to get home. She wanted so desperately to see her aunt and uncle and work in the small Chinese restaurant they owned. Minmei wanted to live a normal life and forget about being in the cargo hold of the SDF1. She only hoped Rick wouldn't tell anyone her dream about being a bride.  
  
Rick on the other hand just wanted to return to Earth and leave the SDF1 behind. He wanted to forget about what happened two weeks prior. Rick didn't want to face Roy or any of his military coworkers. They would have a field day making fun of him for not being able to handle the Veritech.  
  
******  
  
Part 4: Changes  
  
******  
  
Minmei couldn't hold her excitement any longer when she saw her aunt and uncle standing outside the restaurant. Running towards them she leapt into her uncle's arms. Minmei's aunt and uncle couldn't believe their eyes when they saw Minmei. They had thought she was lost forever out in space.  
  
"Minmei we thought we'd never see you again." Her aunt said hugging her.  
  
"How did you ever survive the alien attack?" her uncle asked her.  
  
"Rick saved me. If it wasn't for him I would have never have survived the past two weeks." Minmei told her aunt and uncle.  
  
Minmei's aunt and uncle turned to face the young daredevil pilot. Their niece's savior stood before them watching the scene in front of him. Minmei's uncle came to thank the young pilot for saving Minmei's life and returning her to them.  
  
"You must be Rick. I want to thank you for returning Minmei to us." He said.  
  
"It was nothing sir. I only did what was needed at the time." Rick replied.  
  
Minmei decided to make some formal introductions.  
  
"Rick I'd like you to meet my aunt and uncle Mr. and Mrs. Lynn. Auntie Kim, Uncle Chan this is Rick Hunter." Minmei said.  
  
"Young man if there is anything we can do to repay you for what you have done just name it." Mrs. Lynn offered.  
  
"Well I could use a place to stay ma'am." Rick told them.  
  
"We have a spare room in our apartment over the restaurant we could rent you." Mr. Lynn offered.  
  
"Thank you very much." Rick said.  
  
Minmei noticed the line of people and wondered what was going on. She also saw the stacks of chairs piled high in the restaurant and didn't know why her aunt and uncle hadn't opened yet.  
  
"Uncle Chan why is there a line outside the restaurant?" she asked her uncle.  
  
"Well Minmei we're passing out rations to the people of the city." He explained.  
  
"Wouldn't it be better if we opened the restaurant. I'm sure people would want to eat a home cooked meal than some old rations. If all of the businesses were to reopen then this city would be able to get back to normal." Minmei suggested.  
  
"You know it just might work." Mr. Lynn commented.  
  
Lynn Chan and Rick Hunter quickly set to work setting up the tables inside the restaurant. Rick found himself being drafted into the culinary army in the table division. In less than fifteen minutes the tables were set with every member of the Lynn's Chinese Restaurant staff pitching in. Minmei who had run upstairs to the apartment returned dressed in a red Chinese dress with her hair done up in a pair of buns with braided pigtails. Stepping outside the young woman began promoting the restaurant.  
  
"Lynn's Chinese is now open for business." Minmei said to a group of passing soldiers.  
  
"Hey the Chinese place is open." One soldier said.  
  
"I could go for some Chinese." Another one said.  
  
In no time the small family run Chinese restaurant had its first set of customers. Rick could see Minmei was much happier serving the soldiers than she was being with him. Once again she was a giggling groupie falling for a man in a uniform. Rick felt left out and went to his new room.  
  
******  
  
"No way you've got to be kidding Bennett." Serena said to one of the other pilots.  
  
"It's true the local Chinese place is open again. Fifteen minutes after the owners' niece returned home after being lost in the unused part the ship for two weeks they reopened." Corporal Bennett replied.  
  
"Did she show up with some unknown guy?" Serena wanted to know.  
  
"Yeah they say he's a pilot in an air circus." He told her.  
  
"No way. The lieutenant commander is gonna flip when he hears about this."  
  
"Why should he care about some girl in a restaurant?"  
  
"It's not the girl, although he is worried about her, it's the pilot she was seen with that he was flipping out about."  
  
Serena waved goodbye to Corporal Bennett and went to find Lt. Commander Fokker. She knew the minute he heard his friend Rick had been found he would flip. Serena found Roy sitting in the pilot's ready room reading over the latest reports he had written.  
  
"Excuse me sir but I need to talk to you about something." Serena said to him.  
  
"Oh hey there Corporal Tuskino." Roy replied when he saw who it was.  
  
"Sir popular rumor floating around the ship is two construction workers found two teenagers underneath the city. That and the local Chinese place has reopened. They say it was the idea of the owners' niece to reopen the place. She showed up after being missing for two weeks and she was accompanied by an air circus pilot. I think we both know who that might be."  
  
"They found Rick?"  
  
"Why don't you go to the Chinese place and find out for yourself sir. You'll feel much better once you do. After all he is your friend."  
  
******  
  
Word had spread around the SDF1 that the Chinese restaurant in Macross City had reopened for business. This caused two events to take place on board the battlecruiser. First it helped to lift the spirits of the soldiers and second it caused all the other businesses in town to reopen as well. The words of one young woman became a rallying cry for Macross City's business district.  
  
In the days that followed the restaurant became a popular spot for the members of the RDF. Minmei and her family were busier than ever and they loved every minute of it. It was hard work for the members of the Lynn family and their staff but it was the reason they had gone into the restaurant business in the first place. And Minmei was quickly becoming the favorite waitress of all the soldiers.  
  
Three days after Rick and Minmei were rescued from the unused cargo space Lynn's Chinese received a visit from a certain Lt. Commander Roy Fokker. Roy had come to the restaurant partially out of curiosity and partially because he wished to visit with Rick Hunter daredevil pilot and now hero to the Lynn family. As Roy entered the restaurant Minmei greeted him.  
  
"Welcome to Lynn's Chinese. My name is Minmei. How can I help you?" she said to Roy.  
  
"Actually I'm looking for Rick Hunter. You wouldn't happen to know where he is do you?" Roy asked the young woman.  
  
"Rick oh he's up in the spare bedroom. You must be Roy. Rick told me a lot about you."  
  
"I hope it was all good."  
  
"He looks up to you a lot. Why don't I show you to the room."  
  
Minmei led Roy up a flight of stairs and down a short hall to the room Rick was renting from her family. Roy could see Rick sitting on the bed moping about. He could tell that without his plane Rick was a lost puppy. Rick looked as though his whole world was crashing down on him.  
  
"Hey there stranger long time no see." Roy said as he knocked on the doorframe.  
  
"Roy what are you doing here?" Rick wanted to know.  
  
"I heard you were back in town so I wanted to see if the rumors were true."  
  
"Well Roy you got what you wanted. I'm not going home anytime soon."  
  
"All I wanted was for you and the girl to be safe and out of harm."  
  
"Well not only am I safe but now I can't fly. My plane is a wreck Roy."  
  
"Have you thought about what you might do while you're living in this tub?"  
  
"No because without my plane I'm useless Roy."  
  
"Why not give the military a try Rick. We're always looking for new pilots."  
  
"Roy you know how I feel about the military."  
  
"Rick I saw you in the Veritech back on Earth. You were made for it."  
  
"But I almost got myself killed out there."  
  
"With the right training you could be a pretty good Veritech pilot."  
  
"Yeah and I could end up being the laughing stock of the entire RDF."  
  
"Just think about it Rick. It sure beats moping around a room all day."  
  
******  
  
Breetai was in a foul mood. For over two weeks the Zentreadi commander led the search to find the SDF1. The battlecruiser was no were to be found on the long-range scanners. Breetai didn't take to failure very well and right now the mission to destroy the SDF1 was failing miserably.  
  
As Breetai watched day after day go by with no real results his first mate and right hand man Exedore tried to keep his hopes up. As the pair watched the monitors each day they began to wonder where the SDF1 might have gotten off too. The Zentreadi fleet was almost to Uranus when they picked something up on the sub space scanners.  
  
"Lord Breetai the sub space scanners have detected the ship belonging to the Micronians." One of the Zentreadi soldiers told him.  
  
"Good we will wait here until the Micronians are within striking range and send out a full scale attack on them." Breetai announced.  
  
The Zentreadi had begun referring to the humans as Micronians because of their small size. Whereas the average Zentreadi male was thirty-five feet in height the average human male was only five foot ten inches in height. There was indeed a sizable difference between the two races. But if one were to look past the massive height difference between the two races they would not be able to see any physical differences other than skin and hair color. The Zentreadi looked exactly like any other normal human.  
  
"Lord Breetai our science officers have completed their analysis of the Micronian solar system." Exedore informed him.  
  
"What have they found out?" Breetai wanted to know.  
  
"The third planet in this system is the only planet capable of sustaining life. All the other planets in this system are void of any life. Each planet has unique characteristics that can be used to our advantage. For example the sixth planet in this system has a series of rings made up of large ice particles. We could hide within those rings and take the Micronian fleet by surprise." Exedore explained.  
  
"Very interesting we shall have to keep our sub space scanners open so we can find any Micronian activity headed in our direction." Breetai commented.  
  
The Zentreadi were very eager to engage the Micronians in battle once again. They knew now it was only just a matter of time before the Micronians arrived at their location. Very soon the battle between the Zentreadi and the Humans would resume once again.  
  
******  
  
The words Roy had spoken to Rick were floating around in his mind. Each day since Roy came and visited Rick at his rented room Rick would replay the last few words Roy said to him in his mind. Roy had been right. Rick did enjoy flying the Veritech fighter and joining the military would be better than sitting around doing nothing all day. Roy had also said Rick was made for the Veritech. Even the words Minmei had spoken to him down in the cargo hold were beginning to play out in his mind. Over and over again Rick could hear her say how cute he would look in a military uniform.  
  
Rick didn't know if it was his constant boredom, the way Minmei admired the soldiers that came into the restaurant, or the encouraging words spoken by Roy that was the deciding factor in his decision to join the RDF. But four weeks after the space fold Rick Hunter put his own personal feelings aside and joined the military. Rick was determined to become a Veritech Fighter pilot.  
  
Meanwhile in another part of town the four Earth generals were discussing what they would do for the time they were on board the ship. Nathan knew he wanted to be a cook, however, he also wanted to be near Lita ever chance he got. Zack wanted to be a doctor but he wanted to work near Amy. Justin for once knew what he was going to do. He figured that if he couldn't be on the bridge with Rei then he'd protect the whole damn ship if he had to just keep her safe. Kevin had the same way of thinking as Justin. So with a determined mind set on what they wanted to do the four Earth generals went to go join the RDF military force. Justin, Kevin and Nathan were going to join to be pilots and Zack was going to be a doctor.  
  
The first day of training was brutal in Rick's mind. As he struggled to keep up with the rest of his training group Rick wasn't quite certain he would survive the four-week intensive training session. The captain had implemented the training procedures used during the UN wars. The faster the new recruits learned the ropes of the Veritechs the better in his mind. For Rick Hunter the training session was murder.  
  
The training for the four generals was just as grueling, however, being former military men themselves they were able to take the punishment. Three of the generals were feeling right at home with the war time training. Zack, however, because he wasn't a doctor in his past life was finding it alittle hard to get through the course. He was lucky that Amy was there to help study for any test he might have had and he just enjoyed the time he had with her.  
  
******  
  
When the training session was over the new recruits were given a weekend pass before they would begin their active duty. It would be here that they would receive a crash course in how to fly the Veritech fighter or any other section of the military they entered. Rick was looking forward to this part of his training. He knew deep in his heart that he would blow the competition away. Rick was determined to be the best pilot ever in the history of the RDF. Rick was determined to be another Roy Fokker.  
  
Kevin used his pass to spend the weekend with Mina. He was going to get Lita and Nathan to make a picnic lunch for Mina and him. Right now he decided he'd go for a walk and get all the kinks out of his muscles from the weeks long training.  
  
Nathan had the same idea Kevin did. Only they were just going for a walk. When Lita stepped out of her room she had a beauty that Nathan would always adore. Lita was wearing a green sundress with her hair up in its usual green bow. Lita herself liked what Nathan himself was wearing. He himself was wearing a pair of dark green pants and a green shirt that said 'My Thunder Heart!' after initial shock wore off Nathan took Lita by her arm and they proceeded to walk to the City Park.  
  
Justin decided just to have a nice quiet dinner with the love of his life Rei Hino. This night would be special because he wanted her to marry him and he was finally going to ask after dinner.  
  
Zack was going to just do what Amy always does when she wasn't in class. He would use this time to study for anything and everything although he'd do it with Amy later on tonight as well as spend time with her.  
  
Rick had an entire weekend to himself but instead of spending it resting up for the next phase of his training he decided to spend it with Minmei. There was something about the young waitress that he liked and he didn't know when he would see her or her family again. Rick was beginning to grow fond of the Lynns and he could see why they liked him so much. To them Rick was one of the nicest people they had ever met and he could do no wrong.  
  
"Rick what brings you here?" Minmei asked him as he entered the restaurant.  
  
"Well I have some time off before I begin my flight training and I though we could spend it together." He told her.  
  
"Oh I see. I was planning on going shopping today. You wouldn't mind tagging along with me would you because if you don't I understand."  
  
"I wouldn't mind going with you while you shopped."  
  
"Great! Just let me get my purse and then we can go."  
  
Rick was beginning to wish he had declined Minmei's offer. A few hours of following the teenage girl around was more tiring than an entire week of basic training. Rick didn't know where Minmei got her stamina when it came to shopping. Minmei insisted the two teens go into one more store before lunch. Rick looked up in horror when he realized which store she wanted to go into. Minmei was pulling him into the lingerie shop.  
  
"Oh come on Rick. One more store and then we can have lunch." She told him.  
  
"But does it have to be this store." Rick protested.  
  
"I need some new things and this is the only store that has them."  
  
"Oh alright." Rick said in defeat.  
  
Inside the store Rick sat as Minmei tried on all sorts of robes, pajamas, camisoles, and bras. Minmei kept handing Rick the things she knew for certain that she would purchase. Rick just sat there hoping beyond hope that no one would recognize him.  
  
While Minmei was trying the latest batch of satin pajamas and robes four women entered the store. Three of them were in a small group talking and chatting away and the other was by herself. The lone woman looked through the rack of pajamas while the other three were over at a table of more provocative things.  
  
"Oh come on Michelle sometimes you have to live a little. Amara will love you in this." One of the girls said.  
  
"I don't know Mina. I wouldn't feel right in this." Michelle replied.  
  
"Michelle you only live once so go for it." The last girl told her.  
  
"Oh alright you've convinced me Rei. I'll at least try it on." Michelle said.  
  
The lone woman and one of the girls headed in the general direction Minmei was in. Both of them looked as though they were going to try something on. Rick was getting tired of waiting for Minmei and decided, lingerie and all, to see if she was finished.  
  
"Minmei are you done in there yet?" Rick asked her.  
  
"Just a minute Rick. Let me get back into my things and pay for what you have there and then we can go have lunch together." Minmei told him.  
  
Rei and Mina saw Rick standing in front of the dressing rooms holding women's pajamas, a robe, and some bras. They couldn't help but laugh at him. The girls thought Rick was some poor pathetic boyfriend talked into a day of shopping by his girlfriend.  
  
"Gee he reminds me of C H A D if you catch my drift." Mina said between giggles.  
  
"I did not treat Chad that way Mina." Rei replied, "And anyway why the heck would I care who he looks like I'm with Justin now remember?"  
  
"What's so funny?" Michelle asked the girls as she came out of the dressing room.  
  
"That guy over there." Mina said as she pointed to Rick.  
  
"Yeah Mina says he looks like my ex-boyfriend!" Rei said with a smile.  
  
Rick could see the girls laughing and pointing at him out of the corner of his eye. The moment Minmei stepped out of the dressing room a very red faced Rick handed her purchases to her and headed out the door of the shop.  
  
"I'll see you outside." Rick told her.  
  
"I wonder what that was all about?" Minmei wanted to know.  
  
******  
  
Serena and Darien were also enjoying the quite Saturday. The couple had decided to have a nice quite lunch together so they could talk things over. Sitting in Serena's room the two began to discuss their future together. They both knew the time for sneaking around was over. The dinner with Claudia and Roy had shown them that people on the SDF1 didn't care about age differences, gender, or even skin color. If they could accept Roy and Claudia then they would be able to accept Serena and Darien.  
  
"Serena I think the time has come to make our relationship official." Darien said.  
  
"I'd like to do that but what are people going to say." She replied.  
  
"They're going to say there goes another perfect couple. Some of them might even say it's about time we announced it."  
  
"Yeah I have a pretty good feeling who would say the second comment."  
  
"The girls will have a field day when we go public."  
  
"Oh yeah I can just picture the look on Mina's face."  
  
"Yeah the guys will have a laugh at what Mina does too!"  
  
"So then it's agreed we go public with the hopes of one day getting married."  
  
"Agreed we go public with intent to one day marry. No more secrets about that,"  
  
******  
  
Rick sat on a bench outside the lingerie shop waiting for Minmei. A few minutes after he left the shop the three giggling pointing girls came out of the store and began laughing at him once more. Rick's face was as red as a beet once more.  
  
"It's mister lingerie." Mina said through giggles.  
  
"Do you always like holding women's lingerie?" Rei questioned him trying hard not to laugh.  
  
"She must be quite special if you'll hold her frillies." Michelle added getting into the spirit.  
  
As the giggles continued a woman with shoulder length brown hair walked their way. She was wearing a white uniform and looked quite serious. One glance towards the girls from her and the giggles stopped immediately.  
  
"Good afternoon ladies. I trust you aren't spending your entire day with such frivolities. You do have duties to perform so you'd best return to your posts." She told them.  
  
Rei, Mina, and Michelle quickly snapped to attention and saluted the woman who was clearly their superior. They stood at attention for quite some time until the commanding officer began to leave.  
  
"Commander Hayes needs to lighten up." Mina said.  
  
"Tell me about it." Rei replied.  
  
"She just needs to fall in love." Michelle added.  
  
Commander Hayes may have been leaving the scene but she was still within earshot and heard every single word the girls had said. In the back of her mind Lisa Hayes felt like the loneliest woman in the entire galaxy. Nothing could make her feel better.  
  
******  
  
Rei, Mina, and Michelle returned to the bridge feeling quite bad about what they had said in front of Commander Hayes. The girls sat at their stations in silence not saying a word to anyone. Claudia saw the way the girls were moping about and knew something had to be wrong. She also knew something had to be done to make them feel better.  
  
"Something wrong girls?" Claudia asked them.  
  
"I feel lower than dirt. We said some nasty things about the commander when we ran into her on our lunch break." Mina explained.  
  
"Oh I see. Well Commander Hayes is a big girl and can handle anything." Claudia replied.  
  
"Yeah we know that but we still feel bad about what we said about her." Rei told her.  
  
The current topic of conversation was forgotten when a transmission from engineering came into the bridge. Mina quickly patched the chief engineer to the captain's console.  
  
"Sir I have an incoming transmission from engineering." Mina told the captain.  
  
"Go ahead Chief." The captain said.  
  
"Sir we've been working with the engine room to do something with the extra power from the space fold engines. We've found a way to boost the ship's protective shield. Although we can't use it all over the ship we've come up with a pinpoint shield system that should be able to move to any point on the SDF1 during a battle." The chief reported.  
  
"Good. Will we be able to control it on the bridge?" the captain wanted to know.  
  
"As a matter of fact we've been working on a way to link the shield with one of the consoles on the bridge. All we need to do is uplink the shield system with the operations console and you'll have total control over the pinpoint shield." He explained.  
  
"When can that be done?" the captain asked.  
  
"We can do that right now if you want." The chief said.  
  
"Good. Claudia link into the engineering systems and upload the control system for the new pinpoint shields." Captain Gloval said.  
  
"Aye sir." Claudia replied.  
  
While Claudia was busy getting her control console implemented with the new controls for the pinpoint shield system Rei had another one of her premonitions. This time Rei saw an entire ambush waiting for the crew of the SDF1.  
  
"Guys I see danger ahead." Rei began, "Captain there are at least fifty ships heading our way."  
  
The captain couldn't believe what he was hearing. Waiting for the SDF1 was an entire fleet of Zentreadi war ships. Captain Gloval knew Rei was pretty dead on when it came to her premonitions. He had seen the way she had gotten just before the main guns fired. And he saw how she knew the alien attack was about to take place before the radar had picked it up. This time she was right once more.  
  
"Claudia scramble the fighters and get the remaining personnel back to their posts. Also prepare for transformation. We're going to give the enemy quite a surprise." Captain Gloval ordered.  
  
"Aye sir. Do you want me to order the civilians into the shelters?" Claudia replied.  
  
"There's no time." The captain told her.  
  
"All personnel report to your stations. Repeat all personnel report to your stations. Captain Gloval we are now ready to begin the transformation procedures."  
  
"Good."  
  
******  
  
The Skull Squadron had heard the call to battle and made their way to the Prometheus to launch the Veritechs. Lita and Amara were looking forward to going back into battle while Serena just wanted to have another peaceful week on the SDF1. But there was no time for peace now. The aliens were ambushing the battlecruiser and the crew of the SDF1 was going to fight back.  
  
"Alright boys and girls looks like we have another date with the enemy." Roy told them.  
  
"I hope they don't kiss like my sister." Bennett joked.  
  
"If your sister is a good kisser then I'd like a crack at her." Amara joked back.  
  
"Hey no fair." Bennett yelled.  
  
"Amara I don't think Michelle would like to hear what you're saying!" Serena said.  
  
"Yeah Amara you already have a girl so why don't you save some for us." Harris said.  
  
"Okay troops that's enough. Now let's get out there kick those aliens into next Tuesday." Roy told the squad.  
  
******  
  
The entire city of Macross was in a blind panic when they heard the sirens begin to blare. In a matter of moments after the sirens began sounding the streets of Macross began to shake and literally come apart at the seams. Commander Hayes, who was on her lunch break, was caught in the middle of all the commotion. As she tried desperately to return to the bridge of the SDF1 she was knocked over by a young man with dark hair. Lisa was none too pleased with him at the moment.  
  
"Watch were you're going buddy." Lisa yelled.  
  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to run into you. It's just this darn street is breaking apart making it difficult to walk." Rick tried to explain.  
  
Lisa didn't have time to listen to Rick's explanations at the moment. She was desperate to get back to the bridge and nothing was going to stop her not even a broken street.  
  
******  
  
The SDF1 had completely transformed from a huge battlecruiser into a gigantic battleoid. The two carriers had been added to the ship in such a way that when transformed they made the perfect pair of arms. As the enemy engaged the now transformed SDF1 they were met head on by the new pinpoint shield system. The three disks of light deflected ninety-five percent of the shots fired on the SDF1.  
  
******  
  
The Captain was pleased that the new shield system was working well. Even though the SDF1 was getting hit the damage was minor and could be repaired in no time. The Veritech squads were doing a pretty good job of laying to waste some of the battlepods that were being launched against the SDF1. But the captain didn't want to drag the battle out any longer than necessary. He knew it was risky but the main guns would put an end to this battle.  
  
"Claudia prepare to fire the main guns." The captain ordered.  
  
"But sir you do remember what happened the last time don't you?" Claudia wanted to know.  
  
"Yes I am well aware of the risks but this has to be done."  
  
"Aye sir I was just checking. I'll prepare the main guns immediately."  
  
******  
  
The Skull Squad was doing a bang up job against the aliens. Each member of the squad had taken out at least three battlepods. They were about to execute another run and gun when Lt. Commander Fokker came over the radio.  
  
"I hate to spoil your fun guys but a pretty little lady back on the bridge says it's time to pack it up. The SDF1 is gonna try and use her big boy guns on these aliens." Roy told his squad.  
  
"Aw man and just when I was about to waste another pod." Lita complained.  
  
"You heard the man Lita. We better move it or else we're gonna be a bunch of fried Scouts." Serena said to her best friend.  
  
When the Skull Squad and the rest of the squads in the RDF were safely on board the SDF1 the massive battleoid aimed its huge cannons at the oncoming battlepods. With the target in sight the SDF1 let loose every single ounce of firepower it had vaporizing the remaining pods. The rest of the alien fleet retreated to a safe distance.  
  
On board the bridge of the SDF1 Lt. Claudia Grant sounded the all clear signaling the end of the latest battle. Claudia had done pretty well covering Lisa's duties as well as performing her own. Claudia hoped Lisa was safe in one of the shelters in town.  
  
******  
  
The day was a complete and total wash. Once again the citizens of Macross City had to rebuild the city. When the day shifts on the SDF1 had ended seven very happy individuals made their way towards one of the crew's quarters. They didn't know why they were being asked to the room but ten minutes after the latest battle with the aliens had ended they received a call from one of their friends on their communicators.  
  
When they got to the room the individuals were surprised to see one of their friends heading towards the room. The girls hadn't seen this particular friend in almost six weeks while one of the guys had.  
  
"Amy I thought you'd be burning the midnight oil in the infirmary." The blonde asked her.  
  
"Well Mina when I got Serena's call I knew it would be very important so I came." Amy replied.  
  
"Yeah besides the longer she 'burns the midnight oil' as you put it the longer I get to spend with her!" Zack told Mina.  
  
"I wonder why Serena called this meeting?" the dark haired woman wondered.  
  
"Beats me Rei." Mina said.  
  
"Yeah really what would she want now?" Kevin asked.  
  
"Should we find out?" Justin asked.  
  
"Well whatever the reason we should show our support." The aqua haired woman told them.  
  
"You're right Michelle." Rei said as she knocked on the door.  
  
Serena opened the door to greet her friends and let them into her room. Sitting in the room already at the meeting were Darien, Nathan, Lita, Amara, and Hotaru. The two cats Luna and Artemis were sitting in Hotaru's lap getting scratches behind the ear. Amy, Zack, Rei, Justin, Mina, Kevin, and Michelle knew it must be very important if everyone had shown up.  
  
"So Serena what's up?" Mina asked her.  
  
"Yeah Serena why the air of mystery?" Lita wanted to know.  
  
"Well, it looks like everyone is here so now you can tell us why you wanted to see us." Luna said.  
  
"Yes your highness do tell!" Kevin asked looking towards Darien.  
  
"Yeah what is all this hush, hush stuff for?" Justin asked.  
  
"Oh no don't tell us your breaking up?" Zack asked.  
  
"It's not that is it?" Nathan asked hoping against hope that it wasn't.  
  
"No we're not breaking up!" Serena and Darien said in unison.  
  
"Okay are you ready Darien?" Serena asked him with a smile.  
  
"As ready as I'll ever be." Darien said with his own grin.  
  
"We have some good news." Serena announced.  
  
"We're making it official everyone." Darien told them.  
  
"What does that mean?" Hotaru wondered.  
  
"It means no more sneaking around." Darien said.  
  
"And it means no more lying to anyone." Serena added.  
  
"Well it's about time you two made it official." Mina said.  
  
"Really Darien it really is about time!" Kevin said.  
  
"See I told you Mina would say that." Serena said to Darien.  
  
"What do you mean by I would say that?" Mina asked.  
  
"Darien and I were discussing what you guys would say when we told you guys and you said just that!" Serena told her.  
  
The guys laughed at the comical faces that Serena and Mina were making.  
  
"Come on my love goddess she was only making an observation!" Kevin tried to sway the scout if Venus.  
  
"Serena he is right she's not angry at you!" Darien said.  
  
The others just sweat dropped.  
  
******  
  
Once again Rick and the three Earth generals were back in training. The flight portion wasn't as tough as basic training but it was just as intense. The RDF was going to cram four months worth of flight time into just two weeks of training. Every time Rick began to doubt his decision he would think of Minmei and the way she fawned over the soldiers that came into the restaurant. Rick was determined to see this through.  
  
"Welcome to the RDF intensive flight program." The instructor began, "Over the next two weeks you will learn how to fly the Veritech fighter. By the time you finish this program you will know the Veritech like you know the back of your own hand."  
  
The days passed by slowly for the new recruits. To cram an entire flight program into two weeks the RDF worked the would be pilots fourteen hours a day. By the time the day was over Rick would be too exhausted to complain about the beating his body was taking. And by the time the day was over Rick wished the RDF wasn't in the middle of a war so the instructors could take it easy on them.  
  
Much to Rick's surprise and the surprise of everyone else in Rick's flight class Rick was pretty good at piloting the Veritech. Rick had learned from the mistakes he had made during the fateful day the SDF1 was first attacked by the Zentreadi. For Rick the chance to actually fly again made him feel ten times better than he had been feeling when he moped about the Lynns' spare bedroom. The feel of the controls between his fingers made Rick feel alive once more. Roy was right Rick was made for the Veritech and the Veritech purred like a cat when Rick flew it.  
  
Everyone agreed when the time came to assign the new pilots to their squads that newly commissioned Corporal Rick Hunter should be a member of the Skull Squadron. It was obvious that Rick and Roy knew each other and Roy would be able to keep Rick out of any serious trouble. Rick Hunter was now that which he used to despise he was a member of the military.  
  
Meanwhile the Four Earth generals were also pleased that they too had passed the intense training. Zack was now where Amy first started when she first became a military doctor, however, he didn't care because she was his superior officer, which he liked a lot. Kevin, Nathan and Justin like Rick Hunter also became members of the Skull Squadron. All four Earth generals were very happy men know that they could help protect the solar system.  
  
******  
  
Two weeks had come and gone since the last attack on the SDF1 by the Zentreadi. The members of the Skull Squadron were gathered in the ready room to greet their newest members. There were a lot of rumors and speculation floating around about their new squad members. Serena knew all the juicy details about one of the new recruits and much to her surprise and disliking she was becoming as bad as Melvin was.  
  
"So guys did you hear about the new guys? They say one of them used to be a pilot in an air circus." Bennett told everyone.  
  
"Well I heard he's the same guy who messed up the flight show at the launching of the SDF1." Anderson added.  
  
"That's nothing. I know for a fact he and the lieutenant commander go way back." Amara said.  
  
"Well if my sources are correct then he was the guy seen in the lingerie store holding women's frilly things. His new nickname is Mr. Lingerie." Serena told them.  
  
"Serena knowing your sources they probably gave him that name." Lita reminded her.  
  
"Not my Michelle. She wouldn't do something like that." Amara replied.  
  
"No but her fellow bridge Scouts would." Darien told her.  
  
"So who are the other new guys anyway?" Lita asked.  
  
"I'm not sure on that one!" Serena told them.  
  
"All I know is their suppose to be good! They are suppose to have passed training as high as that Rick guy!" Darien told them.  
  
The moment the words left Darien's mouth the door to the ready room opened to reveal Lt. Commander Roy Fokker with Corporal's Kevin Fukada, Justin Tanaka, Nathan Sanada, and Rick Hunter. Roy had a big smile on his face because for the first time he was going to be working side by side with his little buddy.  
  
"Boys and girls I'd like you to meet our newest members Corporal's Kevin Fukada, Justin Tanaka, Nathan Sanada, and Rick Hunter. I don't know much about three of them; however, Rick and I go way back. I knew this flyboy back in my barnstorming days. I do think all four of them are pretty darn good pilots and will make great additions to our squad so I want you guys to treat them like you would any other member of our squad." Roy said.  
  
"I was right about him." Bennett whispered to the others.  
  
"Looks like Amara was right too." Serena whispered back.  
  
"I can't believe Nathan and the others are on our squad!" Lita told them.  
  
"Well at least we can protect the solar system like we use to!" Darien whispered to Lita.  
  
Serena's empathic side kicked in and she could tell Rick was feeling a bit uneasy about meeting a new group of people. Putting on her famous smile Serena went to introduce herself to her new crewmates.  
  
"Hey guys good to see you made it to the team! Hi there your Rick right? I'm Serena Tuskino. Welcome to the squad guys." Serena said holding out her hand in greeting.  
  
"Boys you're gonna love it here. Tuskino here will see to that I'm sure of it. After a while she sort of grows on you." Roy told his protégé along with the other three men.  
  
"I am sure she does sir!" Kevin said smiling.  
  
"Yeah being that she already has!" Justin smirked.  
  
"Justin cut that out already!" Nathan said slapping the back of his head.  
  
"I take it you three know Serena and her friends then?" Roy asked.  
  
"Know them I'm dating that one!" Nathan said pointing towards Lita, which caused the amazon to blush.  
  
"Oh my god get a camera Nathan made Lita blush!" Justin cracked.  
  
"Um Justin would you like to keep your teeth?" Kevin asked.  
  
"Yeah!" Justin said a little dumbfounded.  
  
"Than shut the heck up before that Amazon whips you butt good!" Kevin said smiling.  
  
"Boy you guys must be like family you act like brothers and sisters!" Roy said.  
  
The group of people broke down in laughter at that remark.  
  
TBC  
  
Please R&R! Chapter 5 will be coming soon! 


	5. Part 5

Disclaimer: I do not now or have I ever owned the characters of Sailor Moon, Robotech. People I want to say something about Miss Lynn Minmei. I don't like her. I like the Rick/Lisa romance and Minmei just gets in the way. So if you like her don't read this, however, if you want to see a new bitchy side to Minmei please enjoy! At first she'll be nice until the Miss Macross pageant then watch out people Rick will leave her in the dust for Lisa don't worry I slowly bring Rick and Lisa together. Again I want to thank Chibi Halo who wrote 'Sailor Moon Macross' without this story wouldn't have existed. As always please R&R this so I know how it is coming across to people! Chibi Halo I would like to know what you think as well! Chibi Halo there might be a few scenes in my story but I pray you won't mind. One more thing for the beginning of the first few chapters I will use your chapter names, I will come up with my own after the last chapter you named. People who haven't read her story yet please do it is a great read! Please enjoy and now on with the story! This is the only Disclaimer I will write! I just wanted to thank Chibi Halo for being my beta reader!  
  
Authors note: When ever I am talking about Kevin, Nathan, Justin and Zack as a group I will refer to them as the four earth generals as that is what they were suppose to be in the manga before Beryl brainwashed them!  
  
Robotech Warriors Book 1 By thunderbird with Sections From Chibi Halo  
  
The crew of the SDF1 had fought their way past three planets. It had been a little over two months since the fateful day when the SDF1 appeared on the far side of Pluto. The alien attacks had become regular occurrences and the Veritech squads were quickly becoming the heroes of Macross City.  
  
The people of Macross City had proved themselves to be a resilient resourceful bunch. Shortly after the SDF1 had transformed and returned to normal the engineers along with Captain Kenji Tuskino and the designers in the city had the city rebuilt so it could withstand another transformation. The next time the city wouldn't look as though it had been in a major quake.  
  
Rick, who was now a full-fledged member of the Skull Squad along with the other new skull members, had yet to prove themselves in actual combat. It seemed the Zentreadi decided to take a small break from the fighting. It was a break that was welcomed by everybody except Rick and two of his new squad mates Lita and Amara. While those two saw the fighting as an outlet for their boredom and short tempers Rick saw it as a chance to get back on the pedestal Minmei once had him on.  
  
Rick, however, was about to get his chance to prove himself in battle. As the SDF1 loomed closer to Jupiter the Zentreadi got what they were waiting for reinforcements from the home world. Another full compliment of Zentreadi battle ships had joined Breetai's fleet. This new fleet, though small in size, added the right amount of firepower need to battle the SDF1. In the Zentreadi chain of command Breetai was the leader of the mission to capture the SDF1 and had command over the latest addition to the armada.  
  
******  
  
Part 5: Mars Base  
  
******  
  
Rick had some good news he was going on his first mission. It had been over two weeks since he last set foot in Macross City. Rick was amazed at how fast the people of Macross City had rebuilt things after the transformation. He was even more amazed to see a simulated sunrise inside the ship; it almost made him forget where he was. On this particular day Rick had made plans with Minmei to go on a picnic in the park and maybe catch a movie at the only theater in town. This was going to be the last day that he would see Minmei for some time. The next day the Skull Squad would be on patrol duty. It wasn't much but Rick would be flying once again.  
  
Rick walked into Lynn's Chinese to see Mr. Lynn, Minmei's uncle, setting up the tables for the day's business. The small Chinese restaurant was doing better than it ever did back on earth. In fact Lynn's was the only Chinese place in town. If people wanted Chinese they either went to Lynn's or made it themselves and no one made Chinese like Lynn's. Rick had to smile at Mr. Lynn because if it weren't for him the entire business district would be a ghost town.  
  
"Good morning Mr. Lynn is Minmei ready yet?" Rick asked.  
  
"My niece should be down soon." He told Rick.  
  
A few minutes later Minmei emerged from the apartment wearing pink clam diggers, a white sweater set, and a pair of tan colored canvas shoes. Her hair was done up in its usual bun. In her hands she carried a large picnic basket and a picnic blanket. Rick could tell the basket was a bit heavy and offered to carry it for her. In no time the two teens were off.  
  
"Bye uncle Chan I'll see you later." Minmei said to her uncle.  
  
"You two have fun and stay out of trouble." Chan told them.  
  
"Don't worry sir we will." Rick assured him.  
  
******  
  
Breetai wasn't two happy with the latest addition to the armada. The new unit sent from the home world was supposed to be one of the best but Breetai wasn't buying that story. The only thing that mattered to Breetai was complete obedience. He needed to know the members of his armada were going to follow his orders to the letter. Breetai was about to consider his newest soldiers a lost cause when he received a hail from their ship.  
  
"This is Khyron reporting for duty Lord Breetai." The soldier announced.  
  
"It's about time you reported in Khyron." Breetai said.  
  
Khyron with his smarmy looks and long white hair gave Breetai a smirk of a grin. Breetai could tell this particular battlepod commander was arrogant and stuck up. Khyron had the air of aristocracy about him and flaunted it wherever he went. This situation was no different. Khyron sat in his chair fiddling with a glass of red wine looking quite bored.  
  
"Yes I thought it was time to get to know the commanding officer of this mission." Khyron said.  
  
"You should have reported in when you arrived here." Breetai almost yelled.  
  
"Really now Lord Breetai don't get yourself worked up over me." Khyron told him.  
  
"Look Khyron I will not tolerate any laziness from stuck up aristocratic pantywaists such as yourself." Breetai yelled.  
  
"Why Breetai you offend me. I'm not lazy, just merely bored out of my mind. When am I going to get the chance to do battle with the Micronians?" he wanted to know.  
  
Breetai wasn't about to let Khyron have the upper hand in this situation. Khyron may lead the troops during battle but before and after Breetai was in charge of the entire armada. He was going to make that clear to Khyron one way or another.  
  
"You'll get your chance when the Micronians reach the largest planet in the system." Breetai began, "I'll have Exedore send you our battle plans."  
  
"Excellent." Khyron replied.  
  
******  
  
Rick and Minmei weren't the only ones enjoying the simulated picture perfect day in the park. Darien and Serena had decided to have their own little picnic in the park. With Lita's home cooking and a few tidbits picked up from the local bakery the princess of the moon and her Earth prince were going to enjoy their first public date.  
  
Everything on the hillside park was as perfect as it could get. The trees and bushes were lush and green and the flowers had a sweet aroma that drifted through the park. There were all sorts of flowers in the park from daffodils and daises to tulips and roses. Upon seeing the roses Darien made a mental note to talk with the caretaker of the park about acquiring a small roes bush he could grow himself in a pot in his room. For Darien roses were the perfect way to relax and the symbol of his position as prince and Tuxedo Mask defender of the Earth and protector of the Moon Princess.  
  
As Serena and Darien got to the small clearing in the park to set up the picnic they noticed Rick and Minmei sitting on a red check picnic blanket eating with chopsticks. Serena immediately gravitated over to the pair on the blanket and began to set up her own picnic lunch. The blonde Veritech pilot received stares from the two teens who were wondering what she was doing.  
  
"Um what are you doing?" Minmei asked Serena.  
  
"Oh I'm sorry I was setting up my picnic lunch. I guess I could set up somewhere else!" Serena replied.  
  
"No that's okay you can pull up a blanket and relax!" Rick said.  
  
"So Rick who's your friend?" Serena wanted to know.  
  
"Um this is Lynn Minmei. Minmei this is Serena Tuskino she's in my squad." Rick said.  
  
"Hey muffin you can stop smelling the roses and come and eat now." Serena called to Darien.  
  
"Be there in a minute meatball head." Darien called back.  
  
"Did he just call you meatball head?" Minmei asked Serena.  
  
"Yeah it's his little name for me. He's called me that since we first met when I was in junior high!" Serena explained with a smile.  
  
Darien came over to the blanket and sat next to Serena. He then pulled out a perfect red rose from out of nowhere and gave it to Serena.  
  
"For the most beautiful woman in the entire universe I give you this." Darien said as he handed the rose to Serena.  
  
"Why Darien Endymon Shields I didn't know you still cared." Serena replied sappily.  
  
"Why Serena Serenity Tuskino why wouldn't I care about my beautiful girlfriend?" Darien asked.  
  
"How romantic." Minmei commented.  
  
"Oh please." Rick said under his breath.  
  
******  
  
Saturday on the SDF1 was usually a slow day depending on where a person was stationed so it was no surprise that Rei, Mina, and Michelle were bored. The three members of the bridge crew were trying to get over their boredom by talking about the latest gossip floating around the ship. And gossip on the SDF1 flew faster than a Veritech at Mach 4.  
  
The rumor mill and gossip chain on the SDF1 was nothing compared to the one back in the Juuban district in Tokyo. Back there the people of Juuban had one great claim to fame Melvin. Melvin was an acquaintance of Serena's and the boyfriend of her best friend Molly. For Melvin gossip was a way of life and the Internet provided him with some juicy morsels. Mina had to admit to herself that she missed Melvin and his manga styled profiles of everyone he had ever met. Without him the gossip didn't seem that interesting. And the latest talk amongst the crew was about as interesting as it ever got.  
  
"Word along the gossip chain is the Skull Squad got some new members yesterday." Rei said.  
  
"Amara told me one's some friend of the lieutenant commander's which is how he got assigned there in the first place. The others are suppose to be friends with Lita, Darien and Serena" Michelle told them with a grin.  
  
"Well ladies I've heard straight out of the horse's mouth that one of the local families considers the Lt. Commanders friend a hero for saving their niece." Claudia said.  
  
"Maybe that's why he was assigned to the Skull Squad." Mina speculated.  
  
"Could be." Rei added.  
  
"Without Melvin and his goofy charts and profiles it's hard to know anything about anybody nowadays." Mina said with a sigh.  
  
"You actually miss that four eyed weirdo?" Rei asked a bit surprised.  
  
"I don't miss Melvin but I do miss his vast amounts of gossip." Mina explained.  
  
"Okay! Anyway Michelle who are the other three new members?" Rei asked.  
  
"Well I think their names are Corporals Fukada, Tanaka, and Sanada!" Claudia told the group.  
  
"Who did you just say?" Mina perked up at the name of Fukada.  
  
"Dummy you heard her cause I did too! What I want to know is why Justin decided to join the RDF?" Rei asked.  
  
"Maybe he just decided to join for the same reasons you and your friends did!" Lisa told her with a smile.  
  
"Maybe your right commander!" Rei and Mina both said.  
  
******  
  
Minmei had to admit to herself that the people of Macross City were quite the enterprising bunch. After lunch was over she and Rick had hooked up with Serena and Darien for a bit of silly fun together. During that time they messed around in the park and caught the only movie playing in town the live action Sailor V flick. Now they were all enjoying the view of the city.  
  
"You know I heard the mayor is trying to find a way to get mail service in the city." Minmei told the others.  
  
"Really that would be so cool." Serena said.  
  
"These people never cease to amaze me." Rick added.  
  
"Tell me about it. Next they will reinvent the phone!" Darien commented.  
  
As the group watched the cars move about the streets inside SDF1 a small robotic camera wheeled its way over to the group. Minmei saw the camera bot and wanted to have her picture taken with Rick.  
  
"Oh Rick let's get our picture taken together." Minmei suggested.  
  
"Sure why not." Rick said as he dug a few coins out of his pocket.  
  
Rick and Minmei went over to a nearby bench followed by the robot and sat down. After placing the coins in the proper slot the couple made a rigid pose while the robot took their picture with a digital camera. Three minutes later the image was printed out on a perfect piece of four by six photographic paper. Serena and Darien decided that a new picture of the ever-loving couple was in order.  
  
"Hey robot over here. We've got a perfect Kodak moment going on over here." Darien said.  
  
The robot came over and Darien dropped in enough coins for two pictures. Darien then grabbed Serena and pulled her into one of their goofy poses. The couple held the pose long enough for the camera bot to take two pictures of the couple. Serena couldn't help laughing at the end result.  
  
"We look totally goofy." She told Darien.  
  
"I wouldn't have it any other way." Darien replied.  
  
"That's why I love you so much muffin." Serena said as Darien Leaned down to meet her lips with his in a passionate kiss.  
  
"Rick why can't we be like that?" Minmei asked the pilot.  
  
"This is only our first date together." He told her.  
  
"Oh. I want you to keep this Rick. You can put in your plane so you'll never forget this day." Minmei said as she handed him the photo.  
  
******  
  
Rick's first day of official flight time in the Veritech was a patrol run around the perimeter of the SDF1. It wasn't the combat time he was looking for but it would have to do for the time being. Jupiter was a sight to behold and no one in the Skull Squad except Lita had ever imagined it would be so extraordinary.  
  
"Hey Lita ever think you'd see your home turf again?" Serena asked her over the communicator.  
  
"Not like this Serena. It's beautiful even if there isn't any life down there." Lita replied.  
  
"My Thunder Heart it might not have life anymore, however, it does show it majesty still even in this time!" Nathan said into his new communicator.  
  
"Nathan you always did know how to lift her spirits!" Kevin said.  
  
"Jeez you two could you get any sappier?" Justin asked.  
  
"Can it Justin if I recall one thousand years ago you did the same thing to Rei!" Darien told him.  
  
"Okay guys pay attention to our surroundings!" Serena told the others.  
  
******  
  
On the bridge of the SDF1 Rei Hino received another premonition. And true to form her instincts told her another attack was coming. The commander and the captain had to be informed right away.  
  
"Sir I'm picking up a heavy compliment of enemy pods headed our way on both the radar and the premonitions." Rei informed the captain.  
  
By now Captain Henry Gloval had learned to listen to the premonitions of one Corporal Rei Hino former Shinto priestess in training. And from what he saw she was usually dead on about what she saw.  
  
"Lisa which squad is on patrol duty?" the captain needed to know.  
  
"The Skull Squadron has patrol detail today sir." Lisa told him.  
  
"Good. I want you to have the lieutenant commander be on the lookout for those pods." He said.  
  
"Aye sir." Lisa replied.  
  
******  
  
Roy was having a pretty routine patrol flight when Lisa came over the radio to inform him about the pod sighting.  
  
"Lt. Commander Fokker this is the SDF1 come in please." Lisa said.  
  
"Go ahead commander." Roy replied.  
  
"The captain has put your squad on full alert. Our long-range scanners have detected a fleet of enemy pods not too far from your current location." Lisa told him.  
  
"Thanks for the warning commander. We'll keep an eye out for them." Roy said.  
  
Roy then passed the word along to the rest of his squad.  
  
"Boys and girls this is your big buddy speaking. It seams the SDF1 has detected a group of nasty little pods waiting for us on the other side of this big world. I want you to be on your toes because you never know what might happen." Roy informed them.  
  
"Oh yeah a chance to kick some alien butt." Lita commented.  
  
"Lita you can kick their alien butt, however, you will leave some for me!" Nathan told her.  
  
"Yeah well you all better save some for me!" Amara spoke up.  
  
"I'll let the fires of Mares burn their carcasses!" Justin informed them.  
  
"Okay Darien I think Justin's been around Rei to long!" Serena told him.  
  
"Tell me about it love!" Darien smirked.  
  
"I think we need to ground him from seeing or speaking to Rei until he stops talking like her!" Kevin told the group.  
  
"Not likely! Now in the words of Lita lets kick alien tail!" Justin yelled over the radio.  
  
"Now this is what I joined up for." Rick added.  
  
******  
  
A group of battlepods was indeed waiting for the SDF1 and her Veritech squads to arrive on the other side of Jupiter. When the Skull Squad made their way to Khyron's current location the battlepods began the attack. Breetai was certain this time he would defeat the SDF1. In his mind there was no way he could fail.  
  
******  
  
Rick was holding his own against the battlepod attack. He and the rest of the Skull Squad had taken out a good number of the pods. For his first time in battle Rick was doing better than he or Roy had expected. In fact all the members of the Skull Squad were doing quite well. In no time the members of the plucky little squad were giving the squad a run for the money.  
  
"Good job boys and girls." Roy said to his squad as the pods began to retreat.  
  
******  
  
After a few days had passed since the surprise attack on the SDF1 had taken place the crew was greeted by the red landscape of Mars. As they came close to the planet Michelle detected a faint signal coming from the surface of the planet. The signal appeared to be originating from the abandoned base.  
  
"Captain I'm detecting a distress signal from Mars Base Sara." Michelle told the Captain.  
  
"What Mars Base Sara? It can't be!" Lisa called out in total disbelief.  
  
"Are you certain that's where the signal is coming from?" Captain Gloval asked Michelle.  
  
"Yes sir I'm positive of it. I double-checked it " Michelle replied.  
  
"Sir there could be the chance that someone is still alive down there." Lisa said with a glimmer of hope in her voice.  
  
"Yes there is that chance Lisa." The captain commented.  
  
"I can't feel it anymore." Rei said to no one in particular.  
  
"Feel what Rei?" Michelle asked her.  
  
"The fire of Mars. It's gone." Rei told her.  
  
"Rei do you detect any signs of life down on the surface?" the captain needed to know.  
  
"The dust storms are making it impossible for me to pick up anything. And the planet is so dead that I can't connect with it anymore." Rei told him.  
  
"I see then I have no choice but to send someone down there to check it out personally. Lisa I'm putting you in charge of this mission." The captain announced.  
  
"Me sir? Do you think that's wise?" Lisa wanted to know.  
  
"Yes you are one of my best crewmen and I trust you enough to give you this responsibility." He told her with a small half smile.  
  
Lisa didn't know whether to be happy or afraid that she was going to the surface of Mars. The moment Michelle told them she detected the signal from the base one word kept playing itself over and over in her mind, the word Carl. For Lisa that name brought both pain and happiness.  
  
******  
  
The Skull Squad was enjoying the brief break in action when Lt. Commander Fokker entered into ready room. At the moment Roy didn't look too happy. Great, he thought, another babysitting mission.  
  
"Boys and girls I just came back from meeting with the captain and it looks like we have another mission ahead of us. It seems we are to secure the perimeter of the old abandoned Mars Base Sara while the good commander investigates a distress signal picked up by the bridge."  
  
"Do we have to?" Bennett complained.  
  
"I'm afraid we do." Roy told him.  
  
"This should be fun." Rick remarked.  
  
"I've learned all missions are important no matter what you have to do." Serena commented.  
  
"You have? Serena when you were younger I remember you always wanting to run for your life from missions!" Kevin told her.  
  
"Oh but when Molly was in trouble or even Darien she'd run to help them!" Nathan told his friend.  
  
"Man you could always count on Serena no matter how hard it got!" Justin said.  
  
"Yeah I can vouch for that!" Darien said.  
  
"When do we leave Roy?" Rick asked.  
  
"We leave when the commander is ready!" he said.  
  
******  
  
Breetai was sick of waiting for Khyron's little group to join his fleet. Being personally chosen by Dolza, the supreme commander of the entire Zentreadi military, to lead the mission to recover the SDF1 was a great honor. Learning someone like Khyron was going to be under his command wasn't going to make this mission any easier. Hopefully Exedore would have some good news for the Zentreadi commander.  
  
"Lord Breetai our sensors have detected a signal coming from the surface of the red planet not too far from our current location." Exedore informed him.  
  
"Very well, send word to Khyron and his unit to go to the planet and investigate the signal. The source of that signal could be of some use to us." Breetai said.  
  
"It will be done Lord Breetai."  
  
Exedore left Breetai's personal chamber to get in touch with Khyron. Hopefully the squad leader would be able to carry out Breetai's orders.  
  
******  
  
The orders were simple go to the surface of the planet and find the source of the signal that was detected. Breetai couldn't have been any clearer if he had given the orders himself. Khyron couldn't wait to get his first glimpse at the Micronian military. When Dolza told the squad leader he was going to be a part of the mission to retrieve the SDF1 he was thrilled. This mission was a once in a lifetime opportunity even if he was under Breetai's command.  
  
"Set course for the red planet. We have a mission to attend to." Khyron told his crew.  
  
"What is our mission Lord Khyron?" one of the crewmen asked.  
  
"We are to search out the source of a signal coming from the surface of the planet and if at all possible we are to capture it." Khyron explained.  
  
******  
  
The transport plane touched down on the surface of the red planet. Not too far from Lisa's position was Mars Base Sara, the Earth's first attempt at colonizing another planet. The dust storm that plagued the planet had died down allowing Lisa to land on the surface. As she made her way to the base one thing kept running through her mind. Dear God please let him be alive, she thought.  
  
Lisa was surprised to find the control panel that worked the doors to the base still worked. This was indeed a good sign for it meant the base still had power. And in her mind if the base still had power then someone must still be there. The only way to know that for certain was to get to the main control room of the base and check for life signs.  
  
The inside of the base was completely dark. Turning on the lantern she had brought with her Lisa was able to spot a control panel. A few quick punches on the panel and the lights came on inside the base. Lisa smiled to herself because her guess had been lucky. As she started down the maze of corridors towards the control room Lisa began to think about one of her fondest childhood memories growing up in Virginia near the naval base.  
  
******  
  
She was nine and he was fifteen yet she had a crush on him. Lisa's mother had been friends with Carl's mother since her family moved to Virginia. Lisa's father was given a permanent position at the base with good opportunities for promotions and this allowed the Hayes family a stable home life.  
  
Lisa and Carl spent a good deal of time together with Lisa usually tagging along. Carl didn't mind that Lisa wanted to do what he did. In fact the older boy liked it when she went with him to the large willow tree by the pond in the meadow near their houses. It was here on summer afternoons that Carl would sit and stare up at the clouds while Lisa would swing on a swing someone had hung on one of the branches of the tree. It was on one of those days that Carl gave Lisa his big news.  
  
"Lisa have I got news for you." He began, "I've been accepted into the Junior Academy in Maryland. I leave at the end of the month."  
  
"Will I ever see you again?" Lisa wanted to know.  
  
"Sure you'll see me again when I come home for holidays." He told her.  
  
For three years Carl kept good on his word to visit Lisa on holidays. But during the summer after his last year at the academy Carl had even more good news for the now twelve year old Lisa. This time Carl had been accepted into the military and he was going to become a pilot.  
  
"Lisa you're one of my best friends and I can tell you anything. Well I have some great news. I've been accepted into the military flight program. Your father wrote a great recommendation and I got into the program. Who knows I may even go to Mars one day." He told her.  
  
"Carl that's wonderful. Someday I'm going to go into the military too and then we can be together forever." Lisa declared.  
  
"Lisa you do that. You hold on to that dream and in six years I'll see you in a military uniform." He replied before giving her a peck on the cheek.  
  
Carl waved goodbye to Lisa and headed off for home to spread the good news to everyone that he knew. As Lisa watched him run off her heart sank a little. The man she thought she loved had told her she was only his friend. I'll show him, she thought, I'll be the best one in the Junior Academy and the military. That was the last time Lisa Hayes ever saw Carl Grubber.  
  
Lisa and Carl did keep in touch though writing to each other. As the years passed the pair marveled at each other's accomplishments. Lisa was able to make it into the Junior Academy two years earlier than Carl and graduated with high honors at the top of her class. Carl made it through the flight program and was accepted into the space program. The day he was chosen to be a part of the crew of the newly completed Mars Base Sara Carl called Lisa to give her the good news.  
  
Lisa tried to make it to launching of the ship that would carry the Mars base crew to the new base. But due to her training obligations and the conflicts taking place she would miss the launch. Lisa wouldn't have the chance to tell Carl how she really felt about him before he left.  
  
A few years after Carl had left for Mars Lisa was promoted to commander and given the chance to be the first officer on the SDF1. But her promotion wouldn't be a happy time for her. Word had reached Earth that something had gone wrong on Mars and the entire crew of Base Sara had mysteriously vanished without a trace.  
  
******  
  
Khyron's fleet fell into orbit above Mars and prepared to make their ascent on the planet. The base they saw on the surface below would be the perfect place for the Zentreadi to have a stronghold in this solar system. Khyron was going to see to it personally that the Zentreadi gain control of the base.  
  
"Prepare to launch the pods." Khyron ordered from inside his pod.  
  
The hanger doors opened on the side of the small Zentreadi battlecruiser allowing for thirty pods to descend to the surface of the planet. This mission would not fail. Khyron would see to that personally.  
  
******  
  
As Lisa continued on to the control room the lights in the base went out. Lisa then turned her lantern back on. That's strange, she thought, I could have sworn the environmental controls would last longer. Lisa wouldn't have much longer to go for at the end of the corridor was the control room  
  
Lisa had to use the emergency override lever to open the doors to the control room. As she entered the room Lisa made her way to the large console in the center of the room. Punching a few buttons on the console Lisa was able to access base controls and turn off the distress signal. Lisa needed to know if anyone was still alive in the base and had the system check for life signs.  
  
"Let's hope someone is still in here." Lisa said out loud as she crossed her fingers, "I know it will at least register me so whatever number it gives me I'll just subtract one from it and that's how many survived the incident."  
  
The incident was rumored to be an asteroid crash on the planet's surface that had smacked into part of the base. It wasn't very large but the damage it had done was immense. Some even said that those who survived the asteroid began to go crazy and turn on each other. No one knew the real reason why the crew of Mars Base Sara suddenly disappeared.  
  
When the computer was finished scanning the base for any signs of life it flashed the results on the screen for Lisa to see. Staring at the results Lisa's face turned grim and ashen the number that flashed back at her on the screen was one. No one had survived.  
  
Lisa knew she had to tell the captain and the crew of the SDF1 the grim news. As the tears streamed down her face Lisa began her transmission.  
  
"This is Lisa Hayes inside Mars Base Sara calling the SDF1." She said.  
  
"This is the SDF1 go ahead Lisa." Claudia responded.  
  
"The search for survivors on the base has turned up negative. There are no survivors in Sara sir what do you want me to do next?" Lisa told them.  
  
"I want you to see if there are any usable supplies left on the base so we can transport them to the SDF1." The captain replied.  
  
"Aye sir." Lisa said as she ended the transmission.  
  
******  
  
Roy and his squad were patrolling the perimeter of the base watching the transport squad load their ships with supplies and parts. Things were going well inside the base. Lisa was overseeing the transfer of the usable parts and supplies to the SDF1 and the perimeter was secure. In fact things were going too well and if Roy hadn't been a bit edgy he would have missed the oncoming attack by the Zentreadi battlepods.  
  
In a matter of mere moments the peaceful nature of the planet's surface was shattered as all hell broke loose around the base. The transport squad scrambled to the planes so they could return to the SDF1. Roy knew something had to be done and fast.  
  
"Bennett you Harris and Anderson get those transport planes back to the SDF1. Rick I need you to find Commander Hayes and get her back to the SDF1 as well. The rest of you are gonna help me take out these aliens." Roy told his squad.  
  
"Uh Roy why me? You know how she feels about me." Rick wondered.  
  
"Because I trust you." Roy said.  
  
Silently and to himself Rick moaned.  
  
******  
  
The base was rocking as the blasts hit the surface of the planet. As she ran back to the entrance she had used Lisa saw something crash through the ceiling of the base. One lone Zentreadi battlepod had its gun pointed straight at the commander. As the pilot was about to fire on Lisa a blast came from the left destroying the pod.  
  
Rick climbed out of his battleoid to check and see if Lisa was okay. The Veritech pilot had a lucky shot and was able to destroy the pod instead of crippling it. When Lisa saw who was coming out of the Veritech she was not thrilled one bit to see him. Corporal Rick Hunter was not one of her favorite people to be around.  
  
"Commander are you okay?" Rick asked her.  
  
"I'm fine corporal." Lisa said in a less than friendly tone.  
  
"Lt. Commander Fokker sent me to get you safely back to SDF1." Rick told her.  
  
"I'm not quite ready to return to the SDF1 just yet corporal."  
  
"Why is that commander?"  
  
"I have to destroy the base before the aliens get their hands on it."  
  
"What are you crazy? That's a suicide mission. I can't let you do that."  
  
"Corporal I am not crazy. I know what I'm doing. I have to keep the aliens from getting their hands on this base."  
  
"Okay I'm going with you. It's my job to see you make it out of here safely and I'm not about to let anything happen to you."  
  
******  
  
Outside the base the remaining members of the Skull Squad were having a tough time with the Zentreadi squad. The Veritech squad was greatly outnumbered but that wasn't about to stop them from doing their job. The Zentreadi were a tough bunch but the members of the Skull Squad were tougher.  
  
Serena was holding her own and had just taken out one of the pods when she heard an explosion behind her. Unknown to the Scout a pod was on her tail preparing to fire on her.  
  
"It's a good thing I saw him." Darien said over the radio.  
  
"Thanks for the help muffin." Serena replied.  
  
"Hey when have I not helped you out?" he remarked.  
  
"Oh let me see. The last month we were fighting Beryl I believe you were having some identity issues so I really wouldn't call the spats you had with Kunzite help just lucky coincidences."  
  
"Okay you got me there."  
  
"Hey I resent that Serena!" Kevin told her.  
  
"Hey would you two love birds mind cutting the chatter and get back to the battle." Lita said at the same time Kevin said what he said.  
  
"Oh yeah right. Kevin you were out of the right frame of mind then remember?" Serena replied.  
  
"Oh yeah! Sorry!" Kevin told her.  
  
"Come on lets plow the road!" Nathan said.  
  
"Nathan you've been watching Independence Day again haven't you?" Justin chuckled.  
  
"You know it!" Nathan laughed.  
  
"Well then my alien butt kicker man let's wipe the road with their sorry excuses for an alien butt!" Lita told Nathan.  
  
"Right behind you Thunder Heart!" Nathan said as he zoomed passed Justin.  
  
******  
  
Lisa and Rick entered the control room of the base and set to work. Lisa began entering a few sequences on the control panel and brought up the self- destruct sequence. After punching the appropriate authorization code a siren began to sound.  
  
"We have to hurry corporal we only have five minutes before this place blows up." Lisa yelled.  
  
"Then what are we waiting for?" Rick replied.  
  
Rick and Lisa ran as fast as they could. By the time they reached Rick's Veritech the base began to shake. As the other sections of the base started to explode Rick grabbed Lisa and carried her into the cockpit of his fighter. By the time Rick was able to get the battleoid started the section of the base they were in began to explode.  
  
******  
  
Roy was the first to notice the base beginning to explode. As he saw the main section go up in smoke and flames Roy wondered what was happening in the base. He hoped Rick and Lisa would be able to make it out of the base in time before the final section went up in flames.  
  
"Listen up everybody the base looks like she's blowing sky high. We'd better get our butts back to the SDF1 before we get caught in the blast." Roy told the squad.  
  
"Aye sir!" The others said.  
  
******  
  
Roy wasn't the only one to notice the explosion on the surface of the planet. Khyron had caught sight of the smoke and flames out of the corner of his eye. He knew it would be useless to continue the battle if there wasn't anything to fight for. And he also knew it wouldn't be worth anything to get killed by an explosion from the planet's surface.  
  
"All battlepods return to the ship." Khyron ordered.  
  
The remaining pods took their leave of the battle and headed back to the ship. Khyron knew it was better to live to fight again another day than to die without trying. This mission may have been a bust but he wasn't going to fail his next one.  
  
******  
  
Three things happened all at once on the surface of the planet Mars. Rick and Lisa made it out of the base the moment the last section went up in flames. Rick did the fastest maneuvering and transforming of the Veritech he had ever done. Roy and the rest of the Skull Squad high tailed it back to the SDF1. No one was about to get caught in the explosion that was destroying the base. And finally Khyron made a hasty retreat back to his ship. Without the base around the battle on Mars just wasn't worth the effort.  
  
Roy and the rest of his squad were about to land on the Prometheus when a call came over his radio. The call he received was one he hoped to hear.  
  
"This is Corporal Rick Hunter calling Skull One." Rick said.  
  
"Go ahead Rick." Roy responded.  
  
"I have the commander and we are heading for the SDF1." Rick told him.  
  
"Glad to see you made it out of there Rick." Roy said.  
  
******  
  
Breetai was quite unhappy with Khyron when he made his report to the Zentreadi commander. Not only did the squad leader fail to secure the base on Mars but he retreated from battle as well. Breetai wasn't about to tolerate any failed missions not when they were so close to returning to the Earth. The mission commander made his displeasure known to the subordinate.  
  
"I am very unhappy with you right now Khyron. You failed me. This was a simple mission to secure the base on the planet and you couldn't even do that." Breetai yelled.  
  
"But Lord Breetai the Micronians destroyed the base before I could get to it. I thought it best to leave the planet before I myself got caught in the blast." Khyron tried to explain.  
  
"I will not tolerate any of your excuses Khyron."  
  
"These are not excuses Breetai. I'll have you know I'm one of the best squadron leaders in the entire Zentreadi military. I know what I'm doing."  
  
"You'd better for your sake."  
  
TBC  
  
As always please R&R! 


	6. Part 6

Disclaimer: I do not now or have I ever owned the characters of Sailor Moon, Robotech. People I want to say something about Miss Lynn Minmei. I don't like her. I like the Rick/Lisa romance and Minmei just gets in the way. So if you like her don't read this, however, if you want to see a new bitchy side to Minmei please enjoy! At first she'll be nice until the Miss Macross pageant then watch out people Rick will leave her in the dust for Lisa don't worry I slowly bring Rick and Lisa together. Again I want to thank Chibi Halo who wrote 'Sailor Moon Macross' without this story wouldn't have existed. As always please R&R this so I know how it is coming across to people! Chibi Halo I would like to know what you think as well! Chibi Halo there might be a few scenes in my story but I pray you won't mind. One more thing for the beginning of the first few chapters I will use your chapter names, I will come up with my own after the last chapter you named. People who haven't read her story yet please do it is a great read! Please enjoy and now on with the story! This is the only Disclaimer I will write! I just wanted to thank Chibi Halo for being my beta reader!  
  
Authors note: When ever I am talking about Kevin, Nathan, Justin and Zack as a group I will refer to them as the four earth generals as that is what they were suppose to be in the manga before Beryl brainwashed them!  
  
Another thing this was the first of many chapters where I reintroduce Trista to the story. I forgot about her before but look for her in the next exiting chapter of Robotech Warriors!  
  
Robotech Warriors Book 1 By thunderbird with Sections From Chibi Halo  
  
A week had passed since the incident on Mars and reports on the battle and the base were filing into the bridge. Each week the different departments on the ship would file a report to Commander Hayes so she could give the captain a weekly update on the activity on the SDF1. This week's report also included the monthly list of individuals recommended for promotion.  
  
Promotions in the RDF were handed out once a month. And depending on how the month went the list was either extremely short or quite long. On the average the list was somewhere in between. This month's list was two pages long and included the latest group of new recruits in the RDF. The bulk of the list contained those individuals who had just completed their training but there were veteran members of the crew on the list as well.  
  
Along with the promotion list and the report on the Mars incident Lt. Commander Roy Fokker had written a letter recommending the formation of two new Veritech squads. One he said would consist of established crewmembers that he knew worked extremely well together. The other would be a squad that would give one of the ship's newest lieutenants a chance to have a leadership position. After reading Roy's letter the captain signed into existence the Vermilion and Lunar squads.  
  
When Lisa received her copy of the promotion list she merely glanced it over and didn't pay too much attention to the names on the list. Most of the time Lisa didn't have any problems with the people chosen to receive promotions so she would always put the list aside to read during her free time. On this particular day Claudia was insistent Lisa read the list.  
  
"Lisa have you read the promotion list yet?" Claudia asked her.  
  
"No not yet. Why is there anyone I should note on the list?" Lisa replied.  
  
"Actually Lisa there are two names on the list you'd better note because they both come from Roy's squad." Claudia explained.  
  
Lisa looked over the list carefully and found the first of the two names from Roy's squad. Serena Tuskino was not only made a lieutenant but she would be given her own squad. Lisa was indifferent when she saw this but noted it anyway. The second name was the one that got her worked up. Rick Hunter was now a lieutenant with his own squad.  
  
"No not him. A promotion I can understand but his own squad?" Lisa moaned.  
  
This was not going to be a good day for Commander Lisa Hayes.  
  
******  
  
Part 6: Promotions  
  
******  
  
The promotion list was the talk of the bridge. Very few individuals were promoted to squad commander the first time around. Here in the few short months since the SDF1 left Earth there were two new squad commanders. And what was more amazing was the fact that they wouldn't be taking over an established squad they would be given their own squads to start. That meant there would be two new squads on the SDF1.  
  
Lisa Hayes had seen the list made her complaint and decided to step out to vent even more. Ever since the day the SDF1 left the Earth Rick Hunter was constant trouble. Not only did he mess things up but also he had called her that awful name. Rick Hunter thought Lisa Hayes was a sourpuss. Lisa vowed to herself to see that Rick Hunter's command was not going to be a walk in the park.  
  
Mina was curious to know why Lisa had left the bridge in such a huff. The young corporal had seen what made Lisa mad. The clipboard lay on the console and Mina knew that something clipped to it was the cause of Lisa's anger. With her curiosity at the boiling point Mina sneaked a peek at the paper clipped to the board. There on the list were the names Serena Tuskino and Rick Hunter.  
  
"No way. Serena's been promoted." Mina said in disbelief.  
  
"Mina what's up why are you so exited?" Rei asked her.  
  
"Serena got a promotion girl!" Mina told her.  
  
"Nah uh! You're kidding!" Rei told her.  
  
"Nope sure ain't!" Mina smiled at Rei's dumbfounded face.  
  
******  
  
Roy was brimming with pride. This was definitely going to be one of his better days. Roy like all squad commanders and command level personnel had received the monthly list of promotions. Upon first glance Roy saw that not only did his recommendation for promotions go through but also his recommendation for two new squads. Roy couldn't wait to see Rick and tell him the good news. He also couldn't wait to see the look on Serena's face when he told her. Roy knew the two new lieutenants would make excellent squad commanders.  
  
The first stop on Roy's schedule was Serena's room. Over the year since Roy had met Serena he had grown quite fond of the younger pilot. And as he had said to Rick the first day he joined the squad Serena did indeed grow on him. Roy had kept his eye on Serena from day one of her flight training. And he knew when the time was right she would be ready to stand on her own two feet. Today she was ready.  
  
Roy came to the door that led into Serena's room. Stopping for a moment he decided on the best way to tell her the good news. Roy gave the door a slight knock and heard a conversation inside.  
  
"It's too early to get up yet." Serena complained.  
  
"There's someone at the door and I suggest you see who it is." another female voice told her.  
  
"But I don't have anything scheduled for today Luna." Serena explained.  
  
"This could be important business Serena. You have responsibilities and duties to a lot more people than you did back in eighth and ninth grades." Luna reminded her.  
  
"Oh alright I'll see who it is." Serena began, "I'll be there in a minute."  
  
"That's alright I have all the time in the world." Roy said through the door.  
  
Three minutes later Serena opened the door. Roy could see she had hurried to get dressed because her hair was down. The blonde tresses fell to the back of Serena's middle back.  
  
"Wow it's no wonder you put that stuff up." Roy commented when he saw her hair.  
  
"Oh yeah my hair. It'll only take me a minute to get it the way I normally wear it." Serena replied.  
  
True to her word Serena had her hair back in its double bun and pigtail style in a minute flat. Roy was quite impressed that Serena was able to do such a complicated style in such a short time.  
  
"How did you do that?" he asked her.  
  
"Years of being late for class gave me a lot of practice in speed dressing." Serena explained.  
  
Luna just smiled from the bed when she heard Serena's comment. The black cat had to admit Serena was growing up right before her very eyes.  
  
"So why do you want to see me sir?" Serena asked getting to the point.  
  
"Well I have some good news to tell you Miss Tuskino." Roy replied.  
  
"You set the date?" Serena guessed.  
  
"No Claudia and I haven't set the date yet. This news concerns you." He told her.  
  
"Me sir?" Serena asked confused.  
  
"Yep and there's one other person we need to find before I tell you." Roy said.  
  
"Mind if I tag along?" Luna inquired.  
  
"Not at all Luna." Roy replied with a wink.  
  
"How did you know about her?" Serena wanted to know.  
  
"I heard you through the door." Roy told her.  
  
The three left Serena's room and headed for the next stop on Roy's agenda Rick's room.  
  
******  
  
Rick sat on the edge of the bed putting his boots on when the knock on his door came. Getting up to answer it Rick was surprised to see Roy standing on the other side with Serena one of the pilots in their squad and a black cat with a weird moon tattoo on her forehead. Roy appeared as though he had a big smile on his face. Serena looked like she was about to burst at the seams trying to figure out what was going on. And Rick could have sworn the cat was trying to size him up.  
  
"Hey Roy why are you here?" Rick asked.  
  
"Well Rick I came because I happen to have something for you. In fact, I have something for both of you and I wanted to give it to you at the same time." Roy told his best friend.  
  
"Well what is it?" Serena asked with obvious excitement.  
  
"Rick, Serena I have the distinct pleasure of being chosen to give you these." Roy said as he handed them two identical boxes and envelopes with their names on them.  
  
"I don't get it. These are lieutenant bars." Serena commented when she opened the box.  
  
"Yeah what's this all about?" Rick added.  
  
"You two had a pretty darn good month, so good in fact that you made the list." Roy explained.  
  
"The list?" Serena and Rick said at the same time.  
  
"Read your letters. They should explain what's going on today." Roy said.  
  
Serena began to read her letter out loud so Luna could hear what it said.  
  
"It is with great pleasure that I Captain Henry Gloval of the SDF1 do hereby bestow upon you Serena Tuskino the rights and rank of lieutenant in the Robotech Defense Force. Due to your outstanding service record and leadership capabilities you have been chosen for full promotion and have been given the rights and responsibilities of a squadron commander. And it's signed Henry J. Gloval captain RDF."  
  
"That's not all. Rick here has received the same promotion you did lieutenant. Starting today you both have your own squads." Roy added.  
  
Luna was beaming from ear to ear smiling only the way a cat could. Rick saw the smiling cat and shook his head telling himself he'd never understand animals. He then saw the look Serena got on her face and began to wonder why she looked disappointed.  
  
"Sir this means we'll be split up doesn't it?" Serena asked Roy.  
  
"You two need to be on your own now lieutenant I can manage without you. But seriously I'm pretty certain you'll like the pilots chosen to be in your squads, however, there will be some who don't like this move." Roy told her.  
  
"Wait till Artemis hears about this. He won't believe it." Serena said.  
  
Hearing that Luna decided to go find her feline companion and tell him the good news.  
  
"Well you two I think it's time I introduce you to your squads." Roy said.  
  
******  
  
Transferred the order was plain and simple. The word kept swimming through her mind. The last time Lita heard this word she had gotten in trouble yet another time for fighting. The principal's recommendation was to transfer her to another school. Lita would be ripped away from everyone she knew and dropped into a place where no one would know her. Lita replayed that fateful day in her mind.  
  
"Miss Kino I'm afraid the only proper action we can take in a situation like this is to remove one or more individuals from the cause of the fighting. And since I can't put you in another section of your class the only thing I'm going to have to do is transfer you to another school." the principal told her.  
  
"What transfer but all my friends are here. I can't be transferred." Lita almost yelled.  
  
"I'm sorry Miss Kino but you have been fighting with too many students too many times. I think it would be best for your safety and the safety of the other students that you be transferred to Juuban Junior High School. You begin there on Monday." He said.  
  
Lita had gotten off on the wrong foot when she began at Juuban. Someone saw her arguing with the principal over her uniform and that's when the rumors began flying around school. By lunchtime people were too afraid to go near her. She had a reputation. But that didn't stop one Serena Tuskino from coming over and talking with her. And the fact that Serena had a bottomless pit for a stomach helped a lot when Lita offered her one of the homemade muffins she had. From that day she and Serena were inseparable. Lita had to admit Serena was the best thing in her life.  
  
Now as Lita sat in the ready room she began to think about her duty to Serena. Being transferred meant she had failed in her duty to keep Serena safe from harm. And being transferred meant she had lost some more friends. It also meant the Scouts weren't going to be together anymore. One good thing's come out of this, she thought, at least I'll be able to stay on the ship.  
  
The door to the ready room opened and Lita looked up to see two very nervous individuals walk into the room. I was like them once, she thought. Lita took a good look at the pair and made note of their looks. She thought they might be in the same squad together.  
  
The first one she looked at was about the same height as Rei was. Lita noted the fact that he had blue hair like Amy's that went down to his chin and glasses. Lita could tell there was something special about him but she couldn't place what it was. The second one was her height and had short wavy brown hair. He looked like he could match Serena bite for bite in the food category. Lita could tell this one had a comical nature to him like Mina when she tries to fix people up.  
  
The door to the ready room opened once more. Lita's jaw dropped to the floor when she saw who was on the other side of the door. Darien, Kevin, Nathan, Justin, and Amara walked into the room together all of them looking just as puzzled as he did.  
  
"Transferred?" Lita asked them.  
  
"Transferred." They replied in somber unison.  
  
"I feel like I'm failing Serena with this transfer." Lita said.  
  
"I know what you mean." Amara added  
  
"She's still with the lieutenant commander so she'll be alright." Darien reminded them.  
  
"But darn why are we being transferred?" Justin asked.  
  
"Wish I knew bud!" Nathan said.  
  
"Well let's just hope the squad we're with is good!" Kevin said looking sad.  
  
It was then Amara noticed the other two pilots in the room and began to wonder about them.  
  
"What's up with those two?" she asked indicating the nervous pair.  
  
"They must be some new recruits assigned to whatever squad we'll be in." Lita said.  
  
"They certainly look scared." Amara commented.  
  
"Well we'll just have to do something about that." Darien said.  
  
Darien got up and walked over to the pair of new pilots and got a good look at them. There's something about that blue haired guy I just can't place, he thought. Extending his hand and putting on his best smile Darien welcomed the new pilots.  
  
"The name's Darien Shields and you are?" Darien said to them.  
  
"I'm Max Sterling and this is Ben Dixon. We recently finished our training." Max replied as he took Darien's hand and shook it.  
  
"Who're the girl and the guys over there?" Ben asked.  
  
"Oh the girls over there are Lita Kino and Amara Ten'ou. The guys are Kevin Fukada, Justin Tanaka and Nathan Sanada." Darien told them.  
  
"That blonde is a girl? No way." Ben remarked.  
  
"I would have never known if you didn't tell me." Max added.  
  
"So how old are you two?" Lita asked them wanting to strike a conversation.  
  
"Well I'm nineteen." Max replied.  
  
"And I'm eighteen." Ben told them, "What about you?"  
  
"Well I'm considered the baby of the group at twenty-one." Lita said.  
  
"I'm twenty-two." Amara added.  
  
"What about them?" Max asked.  
  
"Us oh well I'm twenty-five." Darien replied.  
  
"I'm the same as Darien!" Kevin said.  
  
"Me I'm twenty-four!" Nathan said.  
  
"And I'm twenty-three!" Justin said.  
  
Both Max and Ben let out a disbelieving whistle when they heard how old Darien and the other guys were. It was at that point the door to the ready room opened and the eight individuals inside fell silent and turned to face Lt. Commander Roy Fokker.  
  
"Good morning boys and girls. I bet your wondering why I asked all of you to come here this morning. Today you are going to be introduced to your squad commanders." Roy told them.  
  
"Squad commanders?" Lita asked him.  
  
"You bet corporal. The eight of you are going to be a part of two new squads here on the SDF1. You were chosen for this because of your unique qualities. For instance I knew Ben, Max, Kevin, Justin and Nathan here would compliment their squad commander and maybe get him to lighten up a bit. Max has a good head on his shoulders. Ben is a big teddy bear from what I've heard. Justin is a lot like Ben; however, he does have his moments. Nathan is a good strategist. While Kevin would make a good second in command if their Lieutenant ever needs a second opinion. You three I've been watching from day one. You work well together and back each other up and that's something your squad commander is going to need. I also know you'll look out for your squad commander." Roy explained.  
  
"Um sir if you don't mind my asking but why are you splitting us up?" Lita asked.  
  
"I'm sorry corporal but I feel that you all can only grow this way." Roy replied which left Lita pondering the response.  
  
"So where are they?" Max wanted to know.  
  
"Right on the other side of the door. And I think it's about high time you met them." Roy replied.  
  
Roy opened the door and motioned for one of the new squad commanders to enter the ready room. Lita, Darien, Kevin, Justin, Nathan and Amara were a bit surprised to see Rick Hunter enter the room wearing lieutenant bars. It was obvious to them he was promoted big time.  
  
"Rick I want you to meet the members of your squad Corporal's Kevin Fukada, Justin Tanaka, Nathan Sanada, Max Sterling and Ben Dixon. The five of you are the Vermilion Squad." Roy told Rick.  
  
"It's an honor to meet you sir." Max said saluting Rick.  
  
"We'll do you proud sir." Ben added copying Max's move.  
  
"It's great to be working with you!" Kevin said.  
  
"Like Max I to am honored to meet you sir!" Nathan said.  
  
"I can't wait to work with you Rick!" Justin said.  
  
"And now for you three. Let's see what's behind door number one." Roy said getting a bit goofy.  
  
Roy went to the door and pulled someone through. That someone turned out to be Serena. Lita, Darien, and Amara stood there with their mouths wide open unable to say a single word. It was then that Lita understood Roy's answer to her question.  
  
"Serena?" The three friends said in unison.  
  
"As I said before I've been watching you from day one and it is quite obvious you work well together. So not only did I recommend the lieutenant here for a promotion but I also put through the transfer papers and got the captain's okay on the formation of a new squad. You four have the distinct pleasure of being members in the Lunar Squad." Roy told them.  
  
"Lunar Squad sir? Where did you come up with that name?" Serena asked him.  
  
"Well lieutenant I've heard you and the others talking and I believe your cat's name has come up more than once. So I used that as a starting point and found a word that means moon and thus I chose Lunar." Roy explained.  
  
******  
  
The lunch hour was one of the busier times for the small Chinese restaurant. Ever since it reopened Lynn's Chinese was a very popular place to go. And it was the place to go for anyone in the military. The young waitress who worked there had captured the heart of every man in uniform who walked in the door. And the people of Macross City just wanted to see the girl who had helped bring back the life in their city. It also helped that the food cooked by Lynn Chan and his staff was some of the best in town. With the commissioning and promotions given on this day the Chinese restaurant was the busiest place in all of Macross City.  
  
Minmei was flying from table to table taking orders and serving tea when a group of eleven walked into the restaurant. Minmei recognized two of them from her picnic with Rick. Even though she enjoyed the afternoon with Rick and his fellow pilots it just didn't feel like a date because she had asked him to go to the park with her. But at least one good thing came out of that afternoon Minmei had made a friend.  
  
"Welcome to Lynn's Chinese." Minmei said to Serena and her friends.  
  
"Do you think you have a table big enough for all of us?" Lita asked her.  
  
"I'll see what we can do. It's nice to see you again Serena." Minmei said.  
  
A few minutes later Minmei came back and showed Serena and her friends to a large table in the center of the restaurant.  
  
"Here you go." Minmei said as she handed the menus, "I'll be with you in a moment."  
  
Once again Minmei went to the front to greet another group of customers only this time the customers were Rick and five people Minmei didn't recognize.  
  
"Good afternoon Rick. You haven't been by here in a while." She said.  
  
"Well I've been busy lately. Minmei I'd like you to meet Corporal's Kevin Fukada, Nathan Sanada, Justin Tanaka, Max Sterling and Ben Dixon. Guys this is Lynn Minmei her aunt and uncle run this place." Rick said.  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you miss." Max said with a smile.  
  
"This is a real nice place miss." Ben commented.  
  
"Hello ma'am!" Kevin said with a bow.  
  
"It is such a pleasure to meet such a beautiful woman that our squad commander has taken an interest in!" Nathan said bowing as well.  
  
"Hello!" Justin said fearing Rei would think he was flirting.  
  
"Thank you but please call me Minmei." Minmei told them.  
  
"These five are in my squad Minmei. They just received their assignment papers yesterday. And to top it off I'm their commanding officer." Rick said giving her the good news.  
  
"Oh Rick that's wonderful. Now you'll really have a reason to come tomorrow." She replied.  
  
"What's going on tomorrow?" Rick asked her.  
  
"It's my birthday and I'm having a big party here. Please say you'll come Rick." She explained.  
  
"I'll try." Rick responded.  
  
"We wouldn't miss this for the world." Ben added.  
  
"Yes I love a good party!" Justin said.  
  
"You would!" Kevin and Nathan said in unison.  
  
"Don't worry ma'am I have a feeling we shall be there!" Max said.  
  
******  
  
Serena had a smile on her face. As she watched the scene unfold near the hostess stand she could tell whatever Rick had said to Minmei had gotten the desired effect. Minmei was now hugging Rick choking the life out of him. I used to be that way, she thought.  
  
A couple of minutes after Rick and his squad had left Minmei returned to the table to take their orders. Serena could see the big smile on the young girl's face. She knew full well what it meant Minmei was infatuated with Rick.  
  
"Okay what can I get for you?" she asked them.  
  
"We'll have three orders of the family special for eleven with the chicken please." Serena told her.  
  
"Alright three family of eleven chicken specials. Oh and I'm having my sweet sixteen party tomorrow and you're all invited to come." Minmei replied.  
  
"Might be fun if a certain doctor would like to accompany me?" Zack asked.  
  
"I say why not it's been awhile since we've been on a real date love!" Amy informed him.  
  
"Amara you and Michelle can go while I watch Hotaru! Besides I have this feeling a certain younger brother of our dear Lieutenant Tuskino will be arriving tomorrow night!" Trista said.  
  
"That sounds fine Puu!" Michelle told her.  
  
"Trista are you saying Sammy's got plans tomorrow night?" Serena asked.  
  
"Um Sere you're starting to sound like your dad!" Darien told her.  
  
"Oh sorry guys! I promised I'd never do that!" Serena apologized.  
  
"That's okay!" the other told her.  
  
******  
  
Khyron sat in his chair devising his next plan of attack. The attack on the Mars base had failed and Khyron wasn't about to make the same mistake twice. As he fiddled around with his glass of wine the Zentreadi squad leader thought of a million different ways he could get back at the Micronians who now occupied the SDF1.  
  
"I have it." Khyron said triumphantly.  
  
"Have what sir?" one of his men asked.  
  
"The perfect way to get back at the Micronians." Khyron told him.  
  
"How are you going to do that sir?" another crewman asked.  
  
"Simple we go for a full out attack. Nothing fancy we hit them head on." Khyron explained.  
  
The Zentreadi commander began to laugh. The plan was simple yet brilliant at the same time. This time Khyron was not going to fail. This time Khyron would have his way.  
  
******  
  
Rick and his squad had no time to celebrate what had taken place in the morning. The captain had ordered the Vermilion squad to go on patrol duty. This would be the perfect opportunity for Rick to get his feet wet and test his leadership capabilities. As the six-man squad left the Prometheus they began their patrol around the SDF1.  
  
"Alright men this isn't anything fancy. All we're doing is making sure the ship is secure on all sides and then check the area near hear to make sure the aliens aren't hiding anywhere." Rick said.  
  
"Got it sir." Max replied.  
  
The six fighters made their way around the SDF1 before breaking formation and checking the surrounding area. The Vermilion Squad wasn't out very long when a large contingent of Zentreadi battlepods led by Khyron began attacking.  
  
"Okay guys this is were all that training comes in handy. Try and hold off as many as you can until help arrives." Rick told his crew as he began blasting at the pods.  
  
"Aye sir." The others replied.  
  
******  
  
Rei, Mina, and Michelle had just returned from lunch when the battle began. Rei knew something was wrong and checked her station. There on the screen were at least thirty blips belonging to the enemy squad. This was going to call for a lot more Veritechs than the six that were trying to hold them off.  
  
"Sir we have at least thirty enemy craft headed this way. Our patrol unit is trying to hold them off but they are vastly outnumbered." Rei reported.  
  
"Lisa get the Veritechs out there now." The captain ordered.  
  
"Aye sir." Lisa replied, "Red alert all Veritech squads report for duty. This is not a drill."  
  
"Oh I hope Kevin is alright!" Mina said.  
  
"Yeah Justin too!" Rei called back.  
  
"Ladies I'm sure your men will be just fine!" Lisa told them.  
  
******  
  
The red alert boomed through every part of the SDF1 including Macross City. Serena and the others heard the call to action and scrambled to get to their fighters while Amy and Zack raced back to the infirmary. They always saw some good action during a battle.  
  
Serena was both excited and nervous at the same time. This was going to be her big chance to prove to Roy that he made a wise decision when he recommended she to be promoted. And she was going to prove to the SDF1 that the Lunar Squad would not let her down.  
  
"Okay guys we do it like we've always done things. We're gonna use simple honest to goodness teamwork. No heroics please. I want all of you to come back in one piece." Serena told them.  
  
"Whatever you say boss. And god help any of them who hurts my Nathan!" Lita joked.  
  
"I'm sure they won't but if they do we give them hell to pay!" Darien said.  
  
"Yeah!" Serena said.  
  
What lay before the Lunar Squad was a knock down knuckle dragging fight and caught in the middle of it were six Veritech fighters trying like mad to stay alive.  
  
******  
  
Rick knew his squad was good. At least he hoped his squad was good. The pods were tough and Rick was beginning to wonder if Roy had made a mistake in giving Rick his own squad. Sure maybe Lieutenant Tuskino is ready but I'm not, he thought. As he watched his men go up against the pods two things kept running through his mind respect and frustration.  
  
Rick could tell Max, Kevin, Justin and Nathan were naturals when it came to piloting the Veritechs. On his first day in battle Rick only took out two pods. On his first day as an official pilot Max had taken out four and the battle wasn't even over yet. Kevin was the same as Max. Taking out as many pods as he saw. Nathan might have missed first shot but he made up for it by coming back and shooting them down. Justin was a little like Ben, however, not by much. Justin loved joking around and he loved using that to his advantage. He was out there playing dead until the enemy pods came up and passed him thinking he was dead. Then he would shoot them dead. Ben on the other hand had managed to take out an asteroid and needed to be saved several times. Not one time so far had Ben been able to hit a single pod.  
  
"Uh lieutenant a little help here." Ben said for what seemed like the thousandth time.  
  
"I'll help him sir." Max offered.  
  
"Thank God for Max. I can see why Roy put him in my squad. Okay Max you help Ben while the rest of you back me up!" Rick thought out loud.  
  
Rick managed to take down another pod before the backup showed up. While the other three took out pods left and right. With more squads joining the fight the crew of the SDF1 would be able to hold off another enemy attack.  
  
******  
  
Khyron couldn't believe what he was seeing. Five Veritech pilots had managed to take out dozens of his squad before more pilots arrived. Khyron thought it best to hang back and watch the battle from a safe distance. One pilot did however manage to give the Zentreadi commander a good laugh when he mistook an asteroid for a battlepod.  
  
"Hmm the Micronians have gotten better since the last time we did battle." Khyron noted.  
  
******  
  
Breetai watched Khyron's latest attack on the SDF1 from his command room. Like Khyron Breetai noticed the vast improvement in the Micronian fighting technique. Six pilots in particular were giving Khyron's squad a run for their money. And one squad out of all the others was matching the battlepods shot for shot.  
  
"Exedore I think Khyron has proven his point to me. Call him and have him return to his ship." Breetai told his right hand man.  
  
"As you wish Lord Breetai." Exedore replied.  
  
Exedore had one of the bridge personnel patch him through to Khyron so he could relay Lord Breetai's message to the Zentreadi commander.  
  
"This is Exedore calling Khyron. Lord Breetai has ordered that you and your squad return to your ship immediately. This battle with the Micronians is now over." Exedore told him.  
  
"If that's what his Lordship commands than so be it." Khyron replied.  
  
******  
  
"Captain the enemy fleet is retreating." Rei told the captain.  
  
A great sigh of relief was felt on the bridge of the SDF1 when the Zentreadi began to leave the battle. They all knew this was not the end of the enemy attacks but at least there would be a break in the action again. How long that break would be depended on the Zentreadi.  
  
"Did you see that one pilot in Lieutenant Hunter's squad?" Claudia asked Lisa.  
  
"I've never seen anyone manage to take out so many enemy craft single- handed." Lisa replied.  
  
"I just care about my poor Kevin!" Mina said.  
  
"Looks like they'll be the ones to watch." Claudia commented.  
  
"How about the one who thought the space rock was the enemy commander?" Rei asked.  
  
"I know it almost seemed as though they put the best and the worst in that squad." Lisa said.  
  
"Your friend and her squad did alright out there too." Claudia told the girls.  
  
"I always knew Serena had it in her." Mina remarked.  
  
"Alright ladies it's time we got back to more important matters. Lisa keep the Vermilion and Lunar squads out there on patrol for another hour and call the rest of the squads back to the SDF1." Captain Gloval told her.  
  
"Aye sir." Lisa began, "This is the SDF1 calling all Veritech squads. The captain has ordered the Vermilion and Lunar squads to resume the patrol for one more hour. The rest of you can return."  
  
******  
  
"Khyron you failed another attack." Breetai yelled at the subordinate commander.  
  
Khyron was getting an earful from the fleet commander and Lord Breetai was none too pleased at Khyron's latest performance.  
  
"I promise you Lord Breetai I will not fail you again. I will have my revenge on the Micronians." Khyron yelled back.  
  
"For your sake Khyron you'd better." Breetai said.  
  
TBC  
  
Please R&R! Unless you haven't yet read Sailor Moon Macross by Chibi Halo! 


	7. Part 7

Disclaimer: I do not now or have I ever owned the characters of Sailor Moon, Robotech. People I want to say something about Miss Lynn Minmei. I don't like her. I like the Rick/Lisa romance and Minmei just gets in the way. So if you like her don't read this, however, if you want to see a new bitchy side to Minmei please enjoy! At first she'll be nice until the Miss Macross pageant then watch out people Rick will leave her in the dust for Lisa don't worry I slowly bring Rick and Lisa together. Again I want to thank Chibi Halo who wrote 'Sailor Moon Macross' without this story wouldn't have existed. As always please R&R this so I know how it is coming across to people! Chibi Halo I would like to know what you think as well! Chibi Halo there might be a few scenes in my story but I pray you won't mind. One more thing for the beginning of the first few chapters I will use your chapter names, I will come up with my own after the last chapter you named. People who haven't read her story yet please do it is a great read! Please enjoy and now on with the story! This is the only Disclaimer I will write! I just wanted to thank Chibi Halo for being my beta reader!  
  
Authors note: When ever I am talking about Kevin, Nathan, Justin and Zack as a group I will refer to them as the four earth generals as that is what they were suppose to be in the manga before Beryl brainwashed them!  
  
Here comes Trista ready or not! Oh and Minmei lovers this is the beginning of the end of her old goody two-shoe days! But if you like Rick/Lisa relationships stick with it we're going to be headed there!  
  
Robotech Warriors Book 1 By thunderbird with Sections From Chibi Halo  
  
The SDF1 had been floating in space for almost a year since the space fold jump had brought them to Pluto. The crew of the battlecruiser had become accustomed to having the city inside the ship. And the people of the city welcomed any assistance the crew of the SDF1 could give them. All in all it was a fair arrangement for both sides.  
  
As Life slowly returned to normal on board the SDF1 Captain Kenji Tuskino along with the military engineers and scientists didn't mind helping to fill the requests of the mayor of Macross. When the SDF1 had first transformed for battle and the city ended up looking like a jigsaw puzzle Captain Tuskino along with the engineers helped put the city back together again so it would be able to survive another transformation. But the moral of the citizens of Macross was beginning to waiver. The entire city of Macross had a bad case of cabin fever. In almost a year not one single individual in the city had seen the light of day. And the people of Macross were beginning to envy the Veritech pilots who were able to leave the ship even if it was to battle the enemy.  
  
The battles between the SDF1 and the Zentreadi pods were growing in number and frequency. The wait between battles was very short. Sometimes there would be two or three attacks in a four-day period. The pilots had enough time to return to the carriers and refuel before they were needed again. Things were not going well for either side.  
  
It was during one of these breaks in the fighting that the mayor of Macross got his most brilliant idea. The TV studio in the city was being unused and the mayor decided for the sanity of every citizen in Macross City that it should be turned into a broadcast network. The mayor hoped this would brighten the spirits of the citizens of Macross.  
  
"Picture it," The mayor said to Marshall the head of the studio, "The Macross Broadcasting System showing movies and events to anyone in Macross City!"  
  
"That's fine Mr. mayor we need something like that. But what will we show?" Marshall asked.  
  
"Think about it thirty of the cities most beautiful women in a beauty pageant. There's not better way to launch the MBS. It'll be good for moral!" The mayor said.  
  
******  
  
Part 7: Miss Macross  
  
******  
  
With the decision to host a beauty pageant onboard the SDF1 now all they needed were people to host and help with the show.  
  
"So Mr. mayor how are we going to create the fashions for these girls?" Marshall asked.  
  
"Well why not have that nice lady who opened the clothing store a few weeks ago?" The mayor asked.  
  
"Who Trista Meiou?" Marshall asked the mayor.  
  
"Yes that's her! From what I've heard she is a famous clothing designer!" The mayor told him.  
  
"She'll be a good person to have do this! Now all we need are people to pay for the event and sponsor girls in the show!" Marshall said.  
  
"I think I might be able to get the businesses to help pay for it! And as for sponsoring girls, maybe we could get the local companies who have daughters to do it!" The mayor said.  
  
"Good idea we could also get that actress! Oh what's her name?" Marshall asked.  
  
"I think it's Jan Morris!" The mayor told him.  
  
"Thank you sir! Anyway I also think we should allow military women to come and join too!" Marshall told the mayor.  
  
"Okay good idea Marshall! And we'll pay for the military girls to get in to the show if they need help!" The mayor said.  
  
******  
  
Rick was enjoying the break to the fullest. He had some time before his next patrol run and with the fighting easing off for a bit his days were usually spent relaxing and catching up on lost sleep. But on this particular day Rick was sitting in a small coffee shop waiting for Minmei to arrive because on this day he was going to ask her out on an official date.  
  
Minmei came walking into the coffee shop and sat down at the booth Rick had chosen. Rick smiled when he saw Minmei. Dressed in a simple yellow dress with her hair down Minmei looked quite cute. Taking a deep breath Rick began to ask Minmei for a date.  
  
"Minmei I was wondering if you would like to go out on a date tonight." Rick asked her.  
  
"Oh Rick you should have asked me sooner. I have to help out at the restaurant tonight." She said.  
  
"That's too bad Minmei. Well maybe some other time then."  
  
"Well I have to get going Rick."  
  
"At least let me walk you back."  
  
"Okay."  
  
As Rick and Minmei headed towards the restaurant Rick noticed something different about the city. The whole area seemed brighter than before. As he looked up expecting to see more lights Rick saw the sight of a lifetime an artificial sky  
  
"Hey what's that up there?" Rick asked.  
  
"The Mayor asked the military engineers if they could make the roof into a sky. Now if they could only make sunrises and sunsets." Minmei explained.  
  
"Wow I guess I've been so busy lately I didn't have time to notice those things."  
  
******  
  
At the shop of Trista Meiou the Mayor and Marshall were busy trying to talk her into creating the fashions for the show as well as for introducing the girls in the fashions.  
  
"Miss Meiou would you please do us the honor of creating lovely dresses for the girls who enter this competition?" The Mayor asked.  
  
"Why would you want me?" Trista asked.  
  
"Because your clothing is spectacular and we could use someone with your talent to help make these women grand!" Marshall told her.  
  
"He's right my dear your clothing could even help our ladies look and feel like movie stars!" The Mayor told her.  
  
"Is that all you want?" She asked knowing full well it wasn't.  
  
"Well no ma'am it isn't! We were hoping that you would do us the honor of showing off the young ladies in their dresses?" The Mayor answered.  
  
"Very well I'll do it!" Trista volunteered.  
  
"Oh thank you Miss Meiou! Now we must be going to our next stop! Good bye Miss!" The Mayor said leading off Marshall.  
  
******  
  
"Aw come on Lynn we need you to sponsor this event. It could mean big things for your restaurant." The mayor begged.  
  
The mayor of Macross was determined to put on the first annual Miss Macross contest. He had just got a famous clothing maker on board now all he needed was money and girls. He had made it his personal duty to oversee every detail of the pageant. And right now he was going from business to business to gather sponsors for the pageant and contestants. The mayor already had one contestant he knew would draw a big crowd Jan Morris the movie star. With her in the contest others were likely to join. And that's what the mayor was hoping when he went to see Lynn Chan.  
  
"Why should I sponsor a beauty contest?" Chan asked.  
  
"Because this event is going to restore the hopes and dreams of everyone in all of Macross City and it's a good way to get your name out there." The Mayor explained.  
  
"Well I'll think about it."  
  
"You know you could also sponsor a girl in the pageant too."  
  
"But where would I find a girl to sponsor?"  
  
"What about that niece of yours?"  
  
"Minmei, I couldn't do that to her."  
  
"Well if Jan Morris can do something like this I'm sure your niece could too."  
  
"Okay I'll talk to some friends of mine and see what we can do about sponsoring Minmei and the pageant." Chan said a bit dejected.  
  
"Good. Now I really must get going. I have a busy schedule to keep."  
  
The mayor left Chan to ponder his decision about sponsoring the pageant. As he sat at the table Chan thought about what the mayor had said. It was simple all he had to do was give the pageant committee a donation and his name would be added to the list of sponsors. But the more that he thought about it the more Chan began having another idea catering the entire event.  
  
A few minutes after the mayor had left the restaurant Minmei returned from her meeting with Rick. One look at the smiling girl and Chan could see why the mayor suggested she enter the pageant. Minmei was a beautiful young woman and if Chan could get a couple of his friends to help out with the money Minmei could be in the Miss Macross pageant.  
  
"Minmei how did it go with Rick?" Chan asked his niece.  
  
"It went fine uncle. Rick asked me out tonight but I told him you needed me here." Minmei said.  
  
"Well that's nice. Listen Minmei I need to talk to you about something but first I'd like you to come with me to see George and Harry."  
  
"Sure uncle."  
  
Chan and Minmei left the restaurant and went to the bakery and the produce store. George and Harry were more than happy to listen to what Chan had to tell them. And they were more than happy to visit with Minmei.  
  
"What did you want to see us about Chan?" George asked.  
  
"Gentleman, I have been asked by the mayor to be a sponsor in the Miss Macross pageant. And I also thought the three of us could sponsor my niece Minmei in the competition." Chan replied.  
  
"Us sponsor your niece?" Harry wondered.  
  
"I'd do it alone but the fee is more than I can afford to spend but if we split it three ways we could all afford to sponsor Minmei." Chan explained.  
  
"That is if your niece will do it Chan." George pointed out.  
  
"How about it Minmei. How would you like to be Miss Macross?" Chan asked the girl.  
  
"Well I don't know uncle." Minmei replied.  
  
"It's for a good cause. It's to help bring back the hopes and dreams of everyone in Macross and get us all out of the funk we're in." Chan explained.  
  
"Well if it's for a cause like that then I'll do it." Minmei said.  
  
"If she's going to be in the pageant then I'll help sponsor her." George told Chan.  
  
"Me too." Harry added.  
  
******  
  
When news of the beauty pageant began spreading throughout the SDF1 people began to wonder who would be in the pageant. Speculations and rumors began flying around the ship and soon everyone was talking about the Miss Macross pageant. People wanted to know where and when the contest would take place. They even wanted to know what sort of prizes the winner would receive.  
  
The pageant became the talk of the crew onboard the SDF1. All the men talked about the beautiful girls in the pageant and all the women talked about the possible prizes. One thing was for certain the mere mention of a pageant was brightening the sprits of everyone on the ship and giving them something to look forward to.  
  
Even the bridge crew was talking about the pageant. Claudia thought it would be a good morale booster for the people of the city. But Lisa didn't see it that way. She couldn't understand why anyone would want to go into something like that. Rei and Michelle thought the pageant would be a good way for people to get their minds off their current predicament. Mina on the other hand wanted to be a part of the Miss Macross pageant. She wanted to be an idol singer.  
  
"Hey guys I'm going into town and sign up for the Miss Macross pageant when the shift is over." Mina announced to her friends.  
  
"With out talking it over with Kevin?" Michelle asked.  
  
"Well I'm hoping he'll understand!" Mina told her.  
  
"Hoping to cash in on some good prizes Mina?" Claudia asked her.  
  
"I'm hoping to get back in the spotlight lieutenant. I haven't done anything like this since I did some character modeling for the first Sailor V movie." Mina told her.  
  
"What about the idol singer contest?" Rei reminded her.  
  
"Oh yeah that too." Mina said.  
  
"Well if you need any help practicing a song to sing or play I'd be more than happy to assist you." Michelle offered to Mina.  
  
"Thanks I'll keep that in mind." Mina replied.  
  
"Well I for one think beauty pageants are a waste of time." Lisa said.  
  
******  
  
Mina's decision to enter the Miss Macross pageant had Luna and Artemis as well as Kevin worried. Artemis knew what Mina was like when she got visions of stardom in her head. He had seen it when she auditioned for the voice of Sailor V. Kevin upon hearing this from Artemis got really worried for Mina. Mina thought she would be the perfect candidate for the role since she already was Sailor V in real life. But when the producers of the movie decided to go with an established voiced artist Mina's heart was crushed. But something good did come out of it when the producers asked Mina to be a character model for the animators.  
  
Now Mina wanted to be Miss Macross. Artemis knew Mina wouldn't stop at anything until she got what she wanted. He remembered the national volleyball team tryouts. If she weren't the best at whatever she entered Mina would mope around for weeks. And in a situation like this that wasn't the best thing for her. Artemis had talked to Luna about this and she suggested they talk to Serena.  
  
"Serena we need to talk." Luna began, "It's about Mina."  
  
"Ever since this Miss Macross thing went public Mina's talked about nothing but entering the pageant. And you know what can happen if she looses." Artemis told her.  
  
"But she won't loose." Serena said.  
  
"Are you sure?" Kevin told her.  
  
"Remember the idol contest." Luna reminded her.  
  
"But she was fine about loosing." Serena replied.  
  
"Yes but I remember a time when she wasn't so fine with loosing." Artemis began, "Before she met you Mina tried out for the voice of Sailor V for the first movie. She thought she would get the part but the producers of the movie went with a professional voice actor. If it wasn't for their offer to have her be the character model for Sailor V she would have moped around a lot longer than she did."  
  
"Wow I didn't know that." Serena commented.  
  
"See I couldn't bare her to get hurt!" Kevin said.  
  
"You know whoever wins this is going to get a lot of attention." Luna said.  
  
"Mina likes to receive attention even if it's not directly focused on her. With the volleyball team at school, Sailor V, and the Sailor Scouts Mina got plenty of attention. In fact it was when that manga artist first began drawing Sailor V manga when Mina started thriving on attention." Artemis explained.  
  
"Yes I remember all the stories he told me about her." Kevin said.  
  
"You guys want me to talk her out of this don't you?" Serena asked.  
  
"Yes and if she still wants to do it then let her know you'll always be there for her." Luna replied.  
  
******  
  
The auditions for the Miss Macross pageant were held one week after the announcement of the pageant was made. Girls from all over the city came out and performed in front of the people chosen by the mayor to be judges for the pageant. And since so many girls were trying out the auditions were held over a two-day period.  
  
Only one person didn't have to audition for the pageant Jan Morris. Her manager had pulled some strings and got her into the pageant without having to audition. It was widely known that she was a talented actress but no one knew what other talent she had. And if she couldn't sing, dance, or play an instrument then she wouldn't be in the pageant. Jan 's manager believed that if she weren't in the pageant no one would bother to come or watch it at home.  
  
Mina was slated to go on the first day of the auditions, as was Minmei. The two girls had met briefly when Serena was promoted. Mina was nervous and she showed it by pacing around backstage. Dressed in her favorite orange dress with shoes similar to the ones worn in her Sailor Venus guise. Minmei watched as Mina paced and then smoothed out some non-existent wrinkles in her dress. Mina was a nervous wreck.  
  
"A bit nervous aren't you?" Minmei asked which startled Mina.  
  
"Don't do that." Mina began as she jumped three feet; "Yes I am a bit nervous."  
  
"Well you don't have anything to worry about. I'm sure you'll do fine. Me on the other hand well I've never sung in public before." Minmei reassured Mina.  
  
"Wait a minute you're the girl from the Chinese place aren't you?" Mina wondered.  
  
"Yes I am. My name is Lynn Minmei." Minmei replied.  
  
"Nice to meet you I'm Mina Aino." Mina said.  
  
"Mina Aino, Mina Aino you're up next." The stage manager called out.  
  
"Well wish me luck." Mina said as she went to the stage.  
  
"Good luck Mina." Minmei called out.  
  
Mina walked out onto the stage and took her place in front of the microphone in the center of the stage. The judges looked Mina over and made some marks on their sheets. Turning to the judges Mina introduced herself and what she would be doing for the audition.  
  
"Good morning I'm Mina Aino and for my audition I would like to sing a song entitled 'The Shining Star.'" Mina told the judges.  
  
When the karaoke tape of her favorite Three Lights song began Mina began singing. As she sang Mina blocked out the judges and imagined she was singing along to her Three Lights CD in her room back in Tokyo. When the song ended Mina gave a bow and waited for the judges to speak.  
  
"Thank you Miss Aino. The results of the audition will be posted within the week." The mayor told Mina before making more notes on his sheet.  
  
As Mina left she could hear the mayor and the other judges talking about her performance.  
  
"She has a good singling voice." Paul Briggs, the head of the MBS, said.  
  
"And she is pretty that's a plus." Ellen Logan, the owner of the local salon, commented.  
  
"For a member of the RDF she certainly has what it takes to be in the pageant." The mayor said.  
  
"I know Miss Aino she is very good!" Trista Meiou said.  
  
After making a few more notes on their sheets the judges looked up to see the next person on the audition list standing in front of the microphone.  
  
"My name is Lynn Minmei and today I would like to sing for you a song called 'Stage Fright.'" Minmei told the judges.  
  
As Minmei sang her song something happened anyone within listening range of the amphitheater came over to listen. Even backstage everyone stopped to listen to the girl who was singing. Minmei had a young innocent quality to her voice that was filled with hope. People couldn't help but listen to her. When the song was over the judges were speechless.  
  
"Wow that was good for your first time in public." Mina commented when Minmei came back.  
  
"Thanks. You were pretty good yourself." Minmei told Mina.  
  
******  
  
Breetai was not in the best of moods. His report had not been received well by the head of the Zentreadi military Lord Dolza. Dolza had chewed Breetai out for not being able to make any progress in capturing the Micronian ship. Breetai was given an ultimatum either capture the ship or Dolza would send Breetai's female counterpart to take over the mission for a while. This was one piece of news Breetai didn't want to hear. He was ready to blame someone and that someone was Khyron.  
  
"Khyron you incompetent fool!" Breetai yelled at the squad commander.  
  
"Oh hello Breetai. What can I do for you on this fine day?" Khyron replied smugly.  
  
"Your inability to capture the Micronian ship is costing us dearly and has not gone unnoticed by Lord Dolza. If you don't get some positive results from your next mission Dolza is going to pull both of us from this mission and replace us with Azonia and her crew." Breetai told him.  
  
"Replace us with women, how primitive." Khyron commented as if he didn't care.  
  
"Just keep that in mind Khyron. This time Dolza means every word he says." Breetai said.  
  
******  
  
A week had passed since the auditions for the Miss Macross pageant were held. The results of the audition were posted on a bulletin board near the amphitheater. The list of sixty had been narrowed down to twenty-nine plus Jan Morris. The girls who auditioned raced to the outdoor venue to see who had made it into the pageant.  
  
Mina like everyone else was anxious to see the results of the auditions. She was hoping that she made it into the pageant. Looking at the crowd gathered near the board Mina could that tell they were a bit confused over one of the names on the list. She could hear them say things like she must have auditioned on the other day. When she finally got to the board Mina saw her name on the list right below Minmei's.  
  
"Alright I made it!" Mina said excitedly, "Wait till everyone hears about this."  
  
Mina rushed back to the crew quarters to give Kevin and Artemis the good news so he could tell the others. This was defiantly going to be one of the best days in Mina's life.  
  
"Kevin, Artemis I made it! Pass on the good news." Mina told them as she popped her head into her room.  
  
"That's good Mina." Artemis commented as he saw the blond blur leave the room.  
  
"Yes love that is very good!" Kevin said giving her a quick hug and kiss.  
  
Mina returned to the bridge with a huge smile on her face. She couldn't wait to tell the others her news. They were going to flip when they heard she had made it into the pageant.  
  
"Commander I'm going to need a day off in two weeks from today." Mina said when she entered the bridge of the SDF1.  
  
"What reason would you have for wanting that day off corporal?" Lisa asked Mina.  
  
"I'm participating in the Miss Macross Pageant." Mina said with a huge smile.  
  
"You made it?" Claudia asked her.  
  
"Yep I made it and so did that girl from the Chinese place." Mina replied.  
  
"Isn't she a bit young?" Michelle wondered.  
  
"She may be young but she has some hidden talent like Rei." Mina explained.  
  
"That was just a school festival." Rei said blushing.  
  
"Face it Rei you were good." Mina told her.  
  
"Alright ladies you can talk about the pageant later we need to get back to work." Lisa said.  
  
******  
  
"Uncle Chan I made it into the pageant." Minmei told her uncle.  
  
Like Mina, Minmei couldn't wait to see the list of contestants. She was too excited when she heard the results would be posted on that day. After finding her name and her sponsor Minmei rushed back to the restaurant to give her uncle the good news.  
  
"That's wonderful Minmei." Chan replied.  
  
"And you don't have to worry about the money anymore. The chamber of commerce is going to sponsor me." Minmei informed him.  
  
"I wonder why they're going to be your sponsor?" Chan asked her.  
  
"I think it's because you and your friends belong to the chamber and they decided to sponsor me on your behalf." Minmei pondered.  
  
"That sounds like a logical explanation. Either way I'm proud of you Minmei." Chan said.  
  
******  
  
Two days after the contestant list was posted each person participating in the pageant received an information packet. Mina was sitting in the mess hall with Rei and Michelle looking over her packet when the others came into the room for lunch.  
  
"Hmm let's see swimsuit preference two piece, color orange, shoes will provide." Mina said as she checked off the various boxes on the form.  
  
"Hey Mina what's up?" Serena asked as she sat at the table.  
  
"I'm filling out my forms for the pageant." Mina said.  
  
"Cool. So what kind of things do they ask you?" Lita wondered.  
  
"Oh the basics like what kind of swimsuit you want and a bit of interesting information about yourself they can use in the interview portion. Also they want to know what you'll be doing for the talent competition." Mina explained.  
  
"That sounds real exciting." Serena commented a bit sarcastically.  
  
"I just hope she stays the same if she wins!" Kevin said walking up behind Mina with a smile.  
  
"Cute lover boy real cute! What! Measurements? Why in the world do they want measurements?" Mina said after reading the next question on the form.  
  
"Oh well you know me I try!" Kevin answered.  
  
"Maybe they need them so they can get you the right size gown and swimsuit." Amy suggested.  
  
"Amy's right. With the measurements of each contestant they can have the best fitting outfits for each contestant." Michelle added.  
  
"Oh so then they're not weird for wanting them." Mina said as she wrote them down.  
  
"No love their not! And if they were they'd better watch out cause only I'm aloud to really get to know those curves!" Kevin stated with a huge grin on his face.  
  
"Oh look Guys Corporal Fukada is being cute!" Justin every the jokester said.  
  
"Can it Tanaka! I can talk to my girlfriend however I want to! As long as it isn't rude or crude that is!" Kevin corrected himself.  
  
"Easy man he's only joking! Hey Ice princess!" Zack said as he kissed Amy than sat next to her.  
  
"Hi how was your day?" Amy asked.  
  
"Fine can't wait to get off tonight though!" Zack told her.  
  
"Us either! We've had a hard patrol!" Nathan said.  
  
"Well got to go bye guys!" Serena said.  
  
"Bye Serena!" The others said.  
  
******  
  
The pageant was sold out. Every seat in the amphitheater was filled. Even more people were watching the pageant on the new Macross Broadcasting System. Not a single business was open. Everyone wanted to see who the first Miss Macross would be.  
  
Back stage at the pageant people were moving here and there. The contestants were making last minute preparations before they had to go on stage. Minmei took in all the sights and sounds of the backstage excitement. The young woman had butterflies the size of the city in her stomach. As Minmei took a look at each person she saw two people she recognized. The first person was Mina and the second person was Jan Morris the movie star. Minmei decided to wish Jan good luck in the pageant.  
  
"Aren't you Jan Morris the movie star?" Minmei asked her.  
  
"Yes and I don't have time to talk to a child like you." Jan said very egotistically.  
  
Minmei was a bit hurt by Jan's remark. The blonde haired woman was a big star and in Minmei's opinion very beautiful. She had played the role of the police officer in the Sailor V live action film and was only visiting Macross with her manager for the premier that just happen to take place during the same weekend as the launching of the SDF1. As she left Minmei heard Jan mumble something.  
  
"I have no idea why my manager put me into a contest with a bunch of no talent amateurs." Jan said below her breath but loud enough for people to hear.  
  
"Don't let that stuck up woman get you down." Mina said to Minmei.  
  
"Gee thanks Mina but I don't see how I can win with her in the pageant." Minmei replied.  
  
"You've got something she doesn't have real talent. All you have to do is your best that's all that matters. That's what my best friend told me once when I was your age." Mina reassured her.  
  
"I'll try my hardest and see what happens." Minmei said with a smile.  
  
"That's the spirit." Mina added.  
  
******  
  
In the audience Max and Ben were waiting for the start of the pageant along with the rest of those gathered. The two members of the Vermilion squad were there to support Rick's friend Minmei. As they looked around at the audience they took note of who was there and who was not there.  
  
"Wow, it looks like half the town showed up." Ben commented.  
  
"Yeah but I don't see Lieutenant Hunter anywhere." Max replied.  
  
"That's a bummer. Wouldn't want him to miss his girlfriend's big chance." Ben said.  
  
"Well it seems Lieutenant Tuskino and her friends showed up to support their friend. Heck it also seems the guys are going to sit with their girlfriends!"  
  
"Yeah and I see Lt. Commander Fokker and his girl Lieutenant Grant."  
  
"A lot of important people are here but no Lt. Hunter."  
  
******  
  
Lieutenant Rick Hunter was going to attend the pageant. Even though he didn't have a ticket Rick knew he could watch from the part of the park that overlooked the amphitheater. As Rick ran down the streets he hoped he would be able to make it in time for the opening of the pageant. There was no way Rick was going to miss seeing Minmei on stage.  
  
******  
  
The lights on the television cameras turned on signaling the start of the broadcast. As the music began playing a gentleman in a tuxedo walked out on stage carrying some index cards and a microphone. The master of ceremonies for the pageant was a well-known broadcaster in Macross who would be hosting a news magazine program on MBS.  
  
"Good evening ladies and gentleman and welcome to the First Annual Miss Macross pageant. I'm your host Mark McKinney. Tonight we'll be broadcasting on the newly formed Macross Broadcasting System. So without further ado let's bring out our thirty lovely contestants. Also allow me to introduce Trista Meiou. She is the one who created the lovely clothes the girls are wearing!"  
  
The curtain behind the host rose up revealing the contestants in the pageant along with Miss Trista Meiou. Each contestant was wearing a gown of their choosing that Trista herself had made to fit each of them. Trista went through all the contestants until she got to the last three.  
  
"Next we have Miss Lynn Minmei! She is wearing a red modern Chinese styled gown with a Mandarin collar and gold embroidery. Very lovely Miss Minmei!" Trista said.  
  
"Next we have Miss Mina Aino! She is wearing an orange off the shoulder gown with cap sleeves. Very lovely Miss Aino!" Trista said. As Trista finished Serena and the others clapped their hearts out for their friend who Trista clapped right along with.  
  
"Finally we have Miss Jan Morris! She is wearing a flashy red strapless gown with red sequins with one slit running up her thigh. Very good Miss Morris!" Trista secretly thought she looked like a slut. After Trista was done she walked off stage and the host re-entered.  
  
"Before we begin tonight's festivities let's talk about what the winner will receive." Mark began, "The winner of the Miss Macross pageant will receive a recording session, a screen test, and a Morgan 280 rear prop two seat airplane."  
  
The audience oohed and ahed at the mention of the prizes although no one knew what Miss Macross would do with a plane.  
  
******  
  
Rick made it to the park just in time to hear what Miss Macross would win. He hadn't missed very much of the pageant.  
  
"And now let's meet the contestants in tonight's Miss Macross pageant." Mark McKinney said.  
  
One by one Rick saw the thirty young women step up to a microphone on the center of the stage and introduce themselves. Then Rick saw Minmei step up to the microphone in a more formal version of the dress she wore on the day they were rescued.  
  
"My name is Lynn Minmei and I want to bring hope to the people of Macross." She said.  
  
The next contestant Rick recognized from seeing with Serena and her group of friends.  
  
"That's one of Lt. Tuskino's friends." Rick said to no one in particular.  
  
"I'm Mina Aino and I want to see everyone on the SDF1 make it home." Mina told the audience.  
  
The next contestant was in a flashy red dress and looked like she didn't really want to be there.  
  
"I'm Jan Morris and I want to entertain all of Macross." She said faking as though she cared.  
  
When the last of the contestants finished stepping up to the microphone the girls stood one last tine before the curtain fell and the host spoke once again.  
  
"While our lovely ladies are changing out of their formal wear and into something less formal let's meet the judges for tonight's pageant." Mark began, "Staring to my left we have Paul Marshall the head of the MBS, Miss Ellen Logan owner of the renowned salon The Japanese Baths, Filmmaker Andre Duchane, radio personalities Collin Shane and Aaron Cody, owner of the Gilded Truffle chef Henri Morne, Trista Meiou maker of fine clothes, and the Mayor of Macross City."  
  
As Rick watched the stage workers set up for the next part of the pageant a robotic messenger rolled by his general area paging him.  
  
"Paging Lt. Rick Hunter paging Lt. Rick Hunter." The robot said.  
  
"I'm Lt. Hunter." Rick called out to the robot.  
  
"Please place your ID card in the slot for verification." The robot instructed.  
  
Rick put his military ID card in the slot on the messenger. A few moments later the small screen shaped head went blank and a priority message from Commander Lisa Hayes came on the screen. Rick read the message and groaned.  
  
"Patrol duty. Is she trying to make my life worse than it already is." Rick complained.  
  
"Thank you for using Message Bots." The robot said before leaving.  
  
"Oh well. TAXI!" Rick called out to a nearby cab.  
  
"Where to?" the cab driver asked him.  
  
"Prometheus please." Rick replied.  
  
******  
  
When the stagehands finished setting up for the next part of the pageant the host Mark McKinney announced what would happen next.  
  
"We've been spending the day getting to know these lovely young ladies. They've gone through an interview process and a talent competition. All this has been done so we can pick our ten-quarter finalists. And now our ten quarter finalists." Mark announced.  
  
The names of the ten-quarter finalists were read off in random order. Among the quarter finalists were Minmei, Mina, and Jan Morris. The next round of the pageant would consist of evening gowns, swimwear, talent and interview.  
  
"And now our quarter finalists will go backstage and prepare for the swimwear portion of the pageant." The host told the audience.  
  
******  
  
Rick knew patrols at night were usually quiet so he decided to see if he could pick up the broadcast of the pageant to see how Minmei was doing. At the moment the host was explaining the scoring process to the viewing audience while the girls were getting their swimwear on. As he was watching the pageant Commander Hayes interrupted his signal.  
  
"Lt. Hunter I hope whatever you happen to be watching is well worth it." Lisa yelled.  
  
"Sorry commander." Rick replied.  
  
Rick flew off to another part of his patrol area and turned the radio back to the signal carrying the pageant. The first special performance for the evening was just finishing and the swimsuit portion would soon be under way.  
  
******  
  
Khyron could tell things were unusually quiet on the SDF1. The patrols around the ship were light and few in numbers. In Khyron's mind it was the perfect time to attack the SDF1. As the members of his squad launched from the ship they went into their usual attack formation breaking up into smaller groups. In one group were three of Khyron's pilots Rico, Bron, and Konda.  
  
As the three battlepod pilots made their way towards the lone Veritech in front of them they noticed it wasn't moving.  
  
"Does this guy have some sort of death wish?" Rico asked Bron.  
  
"Who knows." Bron commented.  
  
"Hey a sitting target." Konda said.  
  
"We'd better report this to Khyron." Rico suggested.  
  
As Rico scanned for Khyron's frequency he picked up the signal carrying the Miss Macross Pageant. The sight on the screen fascinated him. Standing on the stage was a woman in a two piece bathing suit talking to the host.  
  
"Bron, Konda turn to frequency 2136 quickly." Rico said to his partners.  
  
"What's that Rico?" Bron asked when he saw the transmission.  
  
"I have no idea Bron." Rico replied.  
  
"Maybe these females are some new kind of weapon?" Konda suggested.  
  
"We'd better inform Lord Breetai about this." Bron said.  
  
******  
  
Rick continued to slowly patrol the area around the ship when the alarms on his Veritech began to go haywire. Turning on his radar Rick saw a large number of pods headed in his direction with three of them in front. The three pods out in front, however, were not moving. Rick knew he had to do something or else he would be in danger of getting shot at.  
  
"This is Lt. Hunter calling the SDF1 and I'm going to need some backup out here. There are a whole mess of enemy craft headed my way." Rick said.  
  
"Back up should be there soon lieutenant." Lisa informed him.  
  
******  
  
"Lord Breetai we have an incoming message from one of the pilots in Khyron's unit." Exedore told the fleet commander.  
  
"What does this pilot say?" Breetai wanted to know.  
  
"He says he's intercepted a Micronian transmission on frequency 2136." Exedore replied.  
  
"Set all transmission systems to frequency 2136." Breetai commanded.  
  
When the image came up on the screen the Zentreadi began to shudder at the sight of the barely clothed Micronian woman talking to the Micronian man. The man said a few things about the woman before she left the stage and another woman wearing a one-piece suit came onto the stage. The Zentreadi watched the transmission mesmerized.  
  
"And now our next contestant Miss Lynn Minmei. Miss Lynn is sixteen and her measurements are 32-24-30. Miss Lynn hopes to make everyone in her life happy. Miss Lynn Minmei." The host said.  
  
Minmei stood on stage for a few moments before exiting the stage.  
  
"Contestant number 27 Miss Mina Aino is 23 years of age. Miss Aino's measurements are 34-26-32. Miss Aino has done some character modeling for Toei Feature Animation in Japan and would like to sing professionally. Miss Mina Aino ladies and gentleman." He said.  
  
As Mina, in an orange tankini, exited the stage Jan Morris came out onto the stage in a red string bikini wearing red spike heels.  
  
"Contestant number 12 Miss Jan Morris is 28 years of age. Miss Morris's measurements are 36-28-34. Miss Morris has acted in several movies including the live action Sailor V movie and Shot in the Dark. Miss Jan Morris." The host told the audience.  
  
The crowd went nuts when Jan stood on the stage. Breetai was quite curious about the effect this Micronian woman was having on the people in the audience.  
  
"Hmm she must be their secret weapon." Breetai commented.  
  
"Even if we don't get the Micronian ship we still have something useful to send to Lord Dolza." Exedore said to Breetai.  
  
"Yes these transmissions will be most useful to Lord Dolza." Breetai replied.  
  
******  
  
As the battle raged on outside the ship the talent portion of the pageant was underway. One by one the contestants sang, danced, and played musical instruments. Things were going quite well. As one of the contestants finished her piece the host announced the next contestant.  
  
"And now ladies and gentleman Miss Jan Morris will recite Hamlet's soliloquy." Mark said.  
  
Jan came onto the stage in her red dress and began reciting the famous to be or not to be lines from Hamlet. When she was finished she bowed to the audience and flashed a fake smile before walking off stage to mediocre applause. The next contestant was Mina who sang 'The Shining Star.' The audience liked her singing and gave her a good round of applause.  
  
"Miss Mina Aino. And now our last contestant Miss Lynn Minmei." Mark announced.  
  
Minmei came out on stage and began singing 'Stage Fright' the only song she knew from her favorite musical. When she finished the song the crowd went wild.  
  
The contestants were narrowed down from ten to five. The five contestants were then asked some questions and redid the evening gown competition. Those five were narrowed down to three Mina, Minmei, and Jan. Jan thought she had it in the bag. The final step was for each contestant to answer the same question. Mina and Minmei were placed in a booth so they couldn't hear Jan 's answer.  
  
"Miss Morris if crowned Miss Macross how would you help the citizens of Macross City?" Mark McKinney asked Jan.  
  
"I would make more movies to show in the theater. If people don't have movies then they don't have anything to care about." Jan answered.  
  
"Thank you Miss Morris. And now Miss Mina Aino." Mark said.  
  
Mina was led out of the booth and walked over to the host.  
  
"Miss Aino if crowned Miss Macross how would you help the citizens of Macross City?" Mark asked a nervous Mina.  
  
"Well I would get to know the people in the city better and have them continue to work hand in hand with the military. And I would visit the people in the hospital and the infirmary." Mina answered.  
  
"Thank you Miss Aino. And now for our final contestant Miss Lynn Minmei." Mark replied.  
  
Minmei walked out of the booth and stood next to the host.  
  
"Miss Lynn if crowned Miss Macross how would you help the citizens of Macross City?" Mark asked a smiling Minmei.  
  
"What we need are hopes and dreams. The people on this ship need their hopes and dreams returned to them. And I'll find a way to bring back their hopes and dreams." Minmei said.  
  
"Thank you miss Lynn. And mow while the judges are making their final decision we will have a special performance from Miss Michelle Kaiou." Mark announced.  
  
******  
  
The battle against the pods raged on. Rick had just taken out another pod when the backup he needed came to assist him. Thoughts of the pageant were quickly put aside when the pods began attacking the ship. With people's minds elsewhere over the past few days the crew of the SDF1 was not ready for the oncoming attack.  
  
As Rick held his own against the pods he noticed some strange behavior in a few of the pods. The three that were at one time coming straight at him had stopped. Whatever they were waiting for Rick didn't want to stick around and find out.  
  
The battle was turning Rick's way when like every other battle it abruptly ended. The Zentreadi pods turned and left the scene. Rick thought that was quite strange. And he knew it had something to do with whatever the three pods were doing.  
  
"This is Lt. Hunter calling the SDF1. The enemy has retreated and the battle is over." Rick said.  
  
"This is the SDF1. Please report back to the Prometheus." Lisa told him.  
  
"Yes ma'am!" Rick said.  
  
******  
  
Michelle finished her violin piece to a generous round of applause. As she took a bow the host came back onto the stage with an envelope in his hand.  
  
"Thank you Miss Kaiou. Before we get to the announcement you've all been waiting for why don't we bring out our contestants one more time." Mark said.  
  
The thirty original contestants came out on stage and took their places with the finalists standing in front. The crowd gave the contestants a round of applause before Mark made the big announcement.  
  
"And now what you've all been waiting for. Our second runner up for Miss Macross is Miss Mina Aino." Mark announced.  
  
"Alright Mina!" Mina heard Kevin yell which made her blush.  
  
Mina smiled and received a hug from Minmei before joining the rest of the contestants.  
  
"Wow! Mina got second runner up." Serena said.  
  
"That's my girl!" Kevin told her.  
  
"Sorry kid but it's obvious I'm going to win." Jan commented smugly.  
  
The host, Mark McKinney, then announced the first runner up.  
  
"Our first runner up is Miss Jan Morris. Which means Miss Lynn Minmei is Miss Macross."  
  
A crown was placed on Minmei's head and a royal cape was draped over her shoulders. Minmei was then handed a scepter made of silver with a leaded crystal on top. Minmei didn't know it but her whole entire life was about to change.  
  
******  
  
Breetai made his report to Lord Dolza high commander of the Zentreadi military. Even though Khyron wasn't able to capture the SDF1 his men were successful in intercepting a transmission from the ship. This action had saved Breetai's position in the mission for a little while longer.  
  
"While I am not pleased that you did not capture the Micronian ship this new information you have sent us is quite interesting. I'm going to give you one more chance Breetai." Dolza said.  
  
TBC  
  
Please R&R! 


	8. Part 8

Disclaimer: I do not now or have I ever owned the characters of Sailor Moon, Robotech. People I want to say something about Miss Lynn Minmei. I don't like her. I like the Rick/Lisa romance and Minmei just gets in the way. So if you like her don't read this, however, if you want to see a new bitchy side to Minmei please enjoy! At first she'll be nice until the Miss Macross pageant then watch out people Rick will leave her in the dust for Lisa don't worry I slowly bring Rick and Lisa together. Again I want to thank Chibi Halo who wrote 'Sailor Moon Macross' without this story wouldn't have existed. As always please R&R this so I know how it is coming across to people! Chibi Halo I would like to know what you think as well! Chibi Halo there might be a few scenes in my story but I pray you won't mind. One more thing for the beginning of the first few chapters I will use your chapter names, I will come up with my own after the last chapter you named. People who haven't read her story yet please do it is a great read! Please enjoy and now on with the story! This is the only Disclaimer I will write! I just wanted to thank Chibi Halo for being my beta reader!  
  
Authors note: When ever I am talking about Kevin, Nathan, Justin and Zack as a group I will refer to them as the four earth generals as that is what they were suppose to be in the manga before Beryl brainwashed them!  
  
Here comes Trista ready or not! Oh and Minmei lovers this is the beginning of the end of her old goody two-shoe days! But if you like Rick/Lisa relationships stick with it we're going to be headed there!  
  
Robotech Warriors Book 1 By thunderbird with Sections From Chibi Halo  
  
Minmei was on cloud nine. She had an airplane she couldn't use, a recording contract, and a screen test. Minmei couldn't care less. She went from being the girl from the Chinese place to Lynn Minmei Miss Macross the most popular person on the SDF1. Now wherever she went people recognized her and actually talked to her. Minmei loved all the attention.  
  
Her uncle and aunt were no different then any other star-struck movie stars. They were bound and determined to make Minmei's new stardom keep on shinning for as long as they could. Minmei's aunt began this by filling her head with idea's of how now that she is a super star she is better than anyone else she knew. Her uncle started it all by creating the Lynn Minmei fan club. He started it by selling little things she wouldn't miss, then dresses, and finally he started to sell autographs of the new Miss Macross. This also added to Minmei's little attitude towards Rick and the others.  
  
Roy and Claudia were still the most lovable couple in the RDF but now rumors were flying around about Rick and Minmei. People who saw the young pair together began saying they were a couple. Rick soon became known around town as the boyfriend of Miss Macross and the guy with Miss Macross. Rick didn't mind people talking about him he only minded the fact that Minmei barely saw him anymore.  
  
The Zentreadi had become curious about the transmissions sent by the Micronians. Breetai ordered his men to monitor every transmission sent by the SDF1. One way or another he was going to learn about their next move and their secret weapon, the scantly clad Micronian women. Breetai was obsessed with finding out the secret of these women.  
  
The SDF1 was now halfway between Mars and the Moon. Captain Gloval was desperate to get a message to RDF command to let them know their status. Try as they might the SDF1 was not receiving any replies from the RDF. Not a single message they were sending had gotten through. The captain didn't know what he was going to do.  
  
******  
  
Part 8: Message in A Bottle  
  
******  
  
The sounds coming from the open third story window were breath taking. The soprano voice drifted down the street followed by a young sounding alto. As the piano played the soft sweet melody the alto voice recognized by so many began singing a tender love song written especially for her. And as people walked by the three-story office building they seemed to smile a bit more than usual.  
  
The beautiful young voice stopped and the sounds of talking could barely be heard amongst the everyday street noises.  
  
"You're doing well but you could be better Minmei." Madame Beaumont said, "Why don't we take a five minute break."  
  
"Thank you Madame Beaumont." Minmei replied  
  
It was at that point that the phone in the room began to ring. Minmei's music teacher picked up the phone and answered it.  
  
"Madame Beaumont's music and voice." She said.  
  
"Is Minmei available to come to the phone?" a male voice asked.  
  
"One moment." Madame Beaumont replied, "Minmei there is a young gentleman on the phone for you. You may talk to him but not for very long."  
  
"Thank you." Minmei said as she took the phone, "Hello."  
  
"Minmei it's Rick. Your uncle said you were there today." Rick replied.  
  
"Oh hi Rick. What did you want?" Minmei said cheerfully.  
  
"Well I was wondering if you wanted to go out sometime this week." He asked her.  
  
"Oh I'd love to but I can't. I have singing lessons every morning and a photo shoot tomorrow afternoon and my screen test on Thursday. And I have an appearance Friday at the Chamber of Commerce lunch. As you can see I'm just too busy right now." Minmei explained to Rick.  
  
"Oh I see well maybe some other time then." Rick said a bit dejected.  
  
"Well I have to get going or Madame Beaumont is going to have a fit." Minmei said.  
  
Minmei hung up the phone and went back to her lessons. Once again the streets of Macross were filled with the sweet sounds of an innocent young voice.  
  
******  
  
"Sir long range scanners show we are four days away from the Earth's moon." Rei reported.  
  
Captain Henry Gloval of Russia paced back and forth on the bridge of the SDF1. For two weeks straight he had been trying to get a message through to anyone in the RDF. And for two weeks straight each message he sent had no reply. Now as his patience was wearing thing the captain gave the order to try and send another message.  
  
"Michelle please try and send the following message. To Robotech Defense Force Command from Captain Henry Gloval SDF1. Gentleman, the SDF1 is four days away from returning to Earth; we will hold our current position until we hear from you. All citizens of Macross City are well and accounted for. We await your orders on what to do next." The captain told her.  
  
"I'm sending the transmission now sir." Michelle said.  
  
The bridge crew waited for a few minutes hoping the transmission made it through to the RDF command. Michelle checked her monitor and saw the same message she had been getting for the past two weeks, transmission interrupted. Michelle prepared to tell the captain the bad news once again.  
  
"Captain they've interrupted our transmission again." She told him.  
  
"That is the fifteenth time that's happened." Gloval commented angrily.  
  
"Maybe they're waiting for us to give our location away sir." Claudia speculated.  
  
"It's a likely chance but one I'm not going to take." He replied.  
  
"You know all this started right after the pageant. Do you think they somehow were able to receive that broadcast?" Lisa wondered.  
  
"That could also be a possibility as well Lisa." The captain said.  
  
"What are we going to do?" Mina asked.  
  
"We'll keep on trying until we get through." The captain explained  
  
******  
  
Rick, despite her busy schedule, was able to get Minmei to go to dinner with him. As they walked into the small café the people walking along the street stopped and stared at Minmei. They looked at her like she was a goddess. The makeover she received made Minmei look a bit more grown up and the new clothes made her look like a fashion model. Rick was actually jealous of the attention she was receiving.  
  
"So Minmei how are things going?" Rick asked trying to make polite conversation.  
  
"Just fine Rick. My managers have a concert lined up for me and the studio says if they like my screen test they just might make a movie with me in it. My uncle even started a fan club for me!" Minmei told him.  
  
"A movie and a fan club huh?"  
  
"Yeah it could really boost my career."  
  
"What career?"  
  
"Why my singing and acting career. My aunt says I might even get a modeling job if they like my photos."  
  
"Whatever happened to your dream of getting married?"  
  
"That's been put on the back burner for now Rick. My aunt says that that comes second to my life! Right now I have to concentrate on being Miss Macross. This is one of the best things to ever happen to me."  
  
"Well you've had your screen test, recorded your demo and own a plane you can't use. When this is all over you'll have some fond memories and go back to being the lovable girl in the Chinese place."  
  
"Rick I'm going to try and make this last as long as possible. My aunt and uncle are going to help me do just that! This is a dream come true for me. I love my aunt and uncle but I can't work there all my life. Besides they told me they wanted me to concentrate on my new carrier!"  
  
Rick could tell Minmei was beginning to enjoy all the extra attention. Minmei was starting to forget the real reason why she became Miss Macross. She once believed it was her job to bring hope back to the people of Macross. Now she was being told it was her job to look beautiful and make money. And Rick was beginning to think Minmei would forget all about him.  
  
"Besides Rick if everything goes the way I want it to I just might be able to get my own place real soon." Minmei said with a smile on her face.  
  
******  
  
Michelle sat at her console and fiddled around with some frequencies. She knew the captain would try another time to send a message to the RDF command. As Michelle tried different frequencies the captain walked into the bridge with a long look on his face.  
  
"Sir what's wrong?" Lisa asked.  
  
"This whole problem of not being able to get through to the RDF command has me worried." He told his first officer.  
  
"Don't worry sir I'm working on a solution to our problem as we speak." Michelle said.  
  
"I hope it works Michelle." The captain replied.  
  
"Me too sir. Me too." Michelle added.  
  
"Alright Michelle here's what I want you to send this time. To Robotech Defense Force Command from Captain Henry Gloval of the SDF1. Sirs we await word from you as to whether or not we can return home. All citizen of Macross City are alive and well. We will hold our position until you contact us." Captain Gloval dictated.  
  
Michelle sent the message hoping it would go through. But when she got yet another message stating the transmission was interrupted once again Michelle almost cried.  
  
"Sir we failed again." She told him in a flat tone.  
  
"Day after day they interrupt our transmissions. What do they want from us?" he almost yelled.  
  
"I don't know sir." Lisa said.  
  
******  
  
Rick wasn't the only one who thought Minmei was getting too arrogant for her own good. Serena could also tell the young girl had changed. And as much as she hated to admit it Minmei was developing an ego. But the people of Macross didn't see it that way. All they did was add fuel to the fire and give Minmei whatever she wanted.  
  
As Serena, Darien, Hotaru and Sammy walked to Claudia's quarters Minmei's recent behavior was the main topic of discussion.  
  
"I've been hearing some doozies about Miss Macross lately." Serena said.  
  
"Oh like what?" Darien asked her.  
  
"Well for one thing people say she doesn't want to work in the restaurant anymore. They say she's bent on staying in the public spotlight forever. Her aunt and uncle are bent on helping her do just that too!" Serena told him.  
  
"Sounds like fame is getting to her." Hotaru said.  
  
"What it really sounds like is an ego problem. I've seen the way she looks at other people. She acts as though she's better than they are. I hate to admit it but she's getting an ego." Sammy said.  
  
"Once the newness of the situation fades away she'll go back to being her usual self." Darien told them.  
  
"I doubt it." Serena said as she rang the bell.  
  
Roy answered the door and let them into Claudia's quarters.  
  
"Claudia will be ready in just a moment." Roy told them.  
  
"Is that them Roy?" Claudia asked from her room.  
  
"Yes dear it is." Roy replied.  
  
Claudia came out of her room wearing a simple green dress and matching shoes. On her left hand was a small diamond engagement ring. Roy took one look at her and smiled.  
  
"Claudia did I ever tell you how beautiful you are." Roy said.  
  
"Only about a million times a day." She replied with a big smile.  
  
"Wow Claudia you look beautiful." Serena commented.  
  
"Thanks. This isn't much but I like it." Claudia said.  
  
"Well if you lovely ladies are ready to go then we can be on our way." Roy told them.  
  
The three couples left the crew quarters and made their way to the city. As they walked to the café where they would be having dinner they noticed a huge crowd outside.  
  
"Man for once I'm wanting to be like the old Serena!" Sammy said.  
  
"Gee I wonder what's going on here? Your that hungry Sammy?" Serena asked.  
  
"I have no idea. Let's find out." Claudia replied.  
  
"Yes I am so?" he asked his sister.  
  
"Excuse me but what's all the commotion about?" Darien asked a woman outside the café. Then turning to Sammy said, "We'll eat soon enough!"  
  
"Minmei is inside the café." The woman replied sounding like a teenie bopper.  
  
"It's a good thing we have reservations." Roy commented.  
  
"Yes no line!" Sammy said.  
  
"Sammy are you feeling okay? I once expected that from Serena but you?" Hotaru asked.  
  
"Sorry Hotaru!" Sammy said blushing.  
  
Serena, Darien, Roy, Claudia, Sammy and Hotaru looked at each other. They knew that this was going to be another one of those evenings.  
  
******  
  
For sixteen days the Zentreadi had been monitoring all outgoing transmissions from the SDF1. And for sixteen days the transmissions weren't giving them any new information. From what Breetai could tell the SDF1 was going to stay where it was until the RDF command told them they could come home. Nowhere in any of the transmissions did the SDF1 mention anything about its location or next plan of attack. Breetai was growing weary.  
  
"For sixteen days we have learned nothing about the Micronians plans." Breetai complained.  
  
"Maybe they won't try any new messages until they hear from their commanders Lord Breetai." Exedore speculated.  
  
"Then maybe we should let them reach their commanders Exedore." Breetai said, "Tell the men to stop intercepting the Micronians' transmissions."  
  
"Yes Lord Breetai." Exedore replied.  
  
Exedore had just finished relaying Breetai's message to the men when one them informed the Zentreadi commander of an incoming message.  
  
"Lord Breetai there is an incoming transmission from High Commander Dolza." The subordinate told the fleet commander.  
  
"Lord Dolza to what do I owe the honor of your message?" Breetai asked the high commander.  
  
"I would like a status report on your plans to monitor the Micronian transmissions." He said.  
  
"So far the transmissions haven't given us any new information Lord Dolza." Breetai replied.  
  
"Let them contact their people. Then we make ourselves known." Dolza told Breetai.  
  
"Yes Lord Dolza." Breetai said.  
  
******  
  
Sure enough Minmei was inside the café. What had started out as a nice quiet evening between friends was becoming a media circus. No one knew at the time the impact the pageant would have on the people of Macross City. Now wherever Minmei went people would stop and stare at her and from what Serena could tell Minmei loved every minute of it.  
  
"I feel sorry for Rick." Serena commented.  
  
"I agree not even Serena would treat Darien like that even when she had stars in her eyes!" Sammy said.  
  
"What makes you say that?" Roy asked her.  
  
"Well, he has to put up with Minmei and her ego. Thanks for the kind words Sammy!" Serena replied.  
  
"I think once the newness of the situation wears off she'll be back to her old self." Claudia said.  
  
"Yeah Serena something this dramatic changes the people it affects. She needs someone like Rick to remind her why she became Miss Macross." Darien added.  
  
"But do you think he'll be able bring her back to reality?" Serena wondered.  
  
"Knowing Rick the way I do I think he can do just that." Roy reassured her.  
  
"I hope so because she needs a shot of reality in the arm big time." Serena said.  
  
"So Sammy, Hotaru does dad know about you two yet?" Serena asked.  
  
"Um no not yet exactly! You see we haven't told him yet!" Sammy replied.  
  
"Yeah see we're afraid he'll do to us what he was always trying to do to you two!" Hotaru said.  
  
"What do you mean by was?" Darien asked.  
  
"Well you remember when Rick and Serena's friend's boyfriends joined the RDF right?" Sammy asked.  
  
"Yes so go on little brother!" Serena said.  
  
"Well you see I kind of told Sammy you two were going public with your relationship and your parents heard everything!" Hotaru told them.  
  
"Okay I'm a military pilot I will remain calm!" Serena told herself then out loud said, "How'd they take it Hotaru, Sammy?"  
  
"Mom said it was about time. Dad says if he hurts you anymore than that bad break up that he'll ring your neck Darien." Sammy said.  
  
The look on Darien's face said it all. He looked paler then a ghost and Serena knew he was scared.  
  
"Okay well he's at least taking it better than we thought love!" Serena told Darien.  
  
"Yeah please let it stay that way!" Darien said.  
  
"Well let's eat up!" Roy said and with that the talking stopped at least for now.  
  
As Serena ate her dinner she noticed the number of people going up to Minmei and asking for her autograph. It almost seemed as though they thought of Minmei as a goddess who would save them from their life on the SDF1. Serena was disgusted with the way people were acting around Minmei.  
  
"Look at them." She said between bites, "They think she's some type of goddess."  
  
"I seem to recall you were the same way about Sailor V and a certain cape wearing crime fighter." Darien reminded her.  
  
"Yeah sis'" Sammy added in.  
  
"Well I thought Sailor V was cool and as for the other one I thought he was the cutest thing around and I still do." Serena replied with a dreamy look in her eyes.  
  
"Serena who are you talking about?" Sammy asked.  
  
The look Serena was giving Darien was causing him to turn as red as a beet. Roy and Claudia looked at each other wondering what Serena's comment was all about.  
  
"I wonder what she meant by that remark?" Claudia asked Roy.  
  
"Beats me Claudia." Roy replied.  
  
"Hotaru do you know?" Sammy asked his new girl friend.  
  
"Sorry Sammy wish I did. I might be her friend but she never tells the others or me everything." Hotaru told him.  
  
******  
  
Minmei had just finished signing another autograph when the owner of the café came over to speak with her. He had a big smile on his face and a menu in his hand.  
  
"Miss Minmei would you sign this please. And I want to let you know your dinner is on the house." The café owner said.  
  
"I'd be delighted to sign this for you." Minmei replied.  
  
"This is the happiest day of my life. Now everyone will want to eat in my café because Minmei ate here once. I'll have more business than ever." He announced almost crying.  
  
"Oh please." Rick moaned.  
  
After the owner left Minmei started to give Rick a piece of her mind.  
  
"Rick how could you be so insensitive. He just asked me to sign that menu for him!" Minmei almost yelled.  
  
"Me? What about the way you're acting. You're beginning to believe everything those people tell you. Everyone in Macross knows you better than I do." Rick snapped at her.  
  
"Well if you'd spend more time with me then maybe you would know who I am." Minmei said.  
  
"Maybe I would be able to spend time with you if you weren't so busy." Rick began, "I call you and you can't talk to me. I've tried to ask you out on a date for a long time. Working the dinner crowd at your uncle's restaurant I can understand but I don't understand how you can tell me that modeling and acting lessons are more important than building a relationship with someone I just don't get it."  
  
"Rick Hunter you can walk yourself home thank you. I am going where I am loved and appreciated." Minmei announced.  
  
Minmei got up from the table and walked out of the café leaving Rick sitting all alone. Almost everyone in the café began to stare at Rick like he was a cold-hearted monster that hurt the feelings of their beloved princess. Rick thought the patrons of the small café were going to murder him for making their idol leave them.  
  
******  
  
Roy saw what had happened between Rick and Minmei and thought his best friend needed an ear to chew on. From his vantage point Rick was the victim not Minmei. Someone needed to teach the young beauty queen a thing or two about respecting others. He knew she was under a bit of stress lately but the way she was being treated and the way she was treating other people was just unacceptable.  
  
"Listen you guys don't mind if I go talk to Rick for a moment?" Roy asked his friends.  
  
"Not at all honey. He's your friend and he needs you right now." Claudia said.  
  
"I'd do the same for any one of my friends." Serena told him.  
  
"We can wait for you." Darien added.  
  
"Yeah sure we can!" Sammy and Hotaru added.  
  
"Thanks guys." Roy replied.  
  
Roy walked over to the table where Rick sat sulking. The look on his best friend's face told Roy that Rick thought what had happened was his entire fault. The poor kid thinks he's to blame for what happened, Roy thought.  
  
"I saw what happened Rick." Roy said to the young pilot.  
  
"So you think it's my fault too." Rick almost snapped.  
  
"No she's the one at fault Rick. She has to learn to treat people better." Roy replied.  
  
"She's changed Roy. She really has changed. I wish the mayor never came up with that stupid pageant." Rick said.  
  
"Maybe she needs to know that no matter what happens you'll always be there for her."  
  
"She seems to think she doesn't need me anymore. Then she claims I don't spend time with her."  
  
"I think once she gets over the first big hurdle she'll start to be the same sweet girl who first captured your heart a year ago."  
  
"I hope so Roy I really hope so."  
  
******  
  
Minmei didn't want to deal with the crowd outside the café. All she wanted to do was go home. As she closed the door to the cab Minmei began to cry. Rick was right I am becoming cold and impersonal, she thought. Minmei recalled how happy she was when she made it into the Miss Macross pageant. She even remembered what it was like when she won. But the next morning things started changing. A man came and told her that she had to take voice lessons before she could record her record. Then he told her she needed a new look before anyone would even consider filming her screen test.  
  
Minmei didn't mind the singing lessons and the day at the salon was fun. But the whole time people kept telling her she was too good to be living above a smelly restaurant. She kept hearing day after day how she was a big star and the most important person on the entire SDF1. What had Minmei scared was the fact that she believed what they were saying. And tonight proved it for her.  
  
"I've been an insensitive jerk." Minmei said to the cabby.  
  
"How can a nice lady like you be insensitive? You're Miss Macross." He asked her.  
  
"I said some nasty things to my boyfriend. And I made him believe it was all his fault."  
  
"Maybe he deserved it."  
  
"He's been nothing but a perfect gentleman the entire time and all I've done was think only about myself. I never once thought about anyone else."  
  
"You've got a lot going on right now is all. He needs to understand that."  
  
"You know what your absolutely right Rick just needs to learn that I am a very good Miss Macross."  
  
"I have a feeling things will be just fine for you Miss Minmei."  
  
The cab stopped in front of the Chinese Restaurant. As Minmei was about to pay the driver he shook his head and refused the payment.  
  
"This one's on me." He told her.  
  
"Well at least let me give you some sort of tip." She said as she handed him a five-dollar bill.  
  
"Thanks. It was real nice talking to you. I hope things work out for you."  
  
"I hope so too." Minmei said as she entered the building.  
  
******  
  
The bridge of the SDF1 was quiet the next morning. No one traded the latest gossip and rumors and no one asked Claudia how her double date went the night before. Everyone was too busy trying to come up with a way to get at least one transmission through to the RDF command. Rei was scanning the area for any communications satellites Michelle could bounce a signal off of. At this point the crew of the SDF1 was desperate to contact anyone in the RDF back on Earth.  
  
"I've got it!" Rei announced.  
  
"What did you find Rei?" Lisa asked her.  
  
"There's a communications satellite right in line with the moon. If we bounce our signal off the dish on the moon base then we can bounce it off the satellite and send it down to Earth. I know it's a long shot but it's the only way we can contact the RDF." Rei explained.  
  
"That sounds like it just might work. Every direct route we've used so far has been blocked by the enemy." Michelle said.  
  
"I'll inform the captain of our findings when he comes in." Lisa told them.  
  
Five minutes after Rei made her discovery Captain Henry Gloval walked into the bridge with a long look on his face. The girls could tell he didn't want to go through another failed attempt at trying to contact the RDF command. The captain's hopes of returning home were slowly fading away.  
  
"Captain, we think we may have a way to get through to RDF command." Lisa informed him.  
  
"What have you come up with?" he asked her.  
  
"Well why don't I let Corporal Hino explain her idea, Rei." Lisa replied.  
  
"I found a communications satellite not too far from the moon. If we can bounce our signal off of the dish at Tranquility Base and then off of the satellite we just might be able to reach the RDF." Rei said.  
  
"Do you think you'd be able to do that Michelle?" the captain wanted to know.  
  
"I think I can pull it off sir." Michelle replied.  
  
"Alright then here's the message I want you to send them. From Captain Henry Gloval SDF1 to RDF command. We will reach Earth in four days. All citizens of Macross City are well and accounted for. We await your reply." The captain said.  
  
As Michelle sent the message she saw it connect with the dish on the base and then the satellite. The entire bridge crew had their fingers crossed hoping for the signal to reach Earth. The minutes seemed to go by slower than ever as they waited for the confirmation notice on Michelle's screen. Five minutes after she sent the message Michelle's screen flashed the transmission complete message.  
  
"Captain we actually made it through." Michelle said very surprised at what she had seen.  
  
For the first time in over two weeks Captain Henry Gloval commander of the SDF1 gave a huge sigh of relief. Now all they needed to do was wait for a reply.  
  
"All we need now is a reply from the RDF command." The captain told them.  
  
"Sir I'm receiving a priority one transmission from RDF command." Michelle informed him.  
  
"Put it through." He said.  
  
"SDF1 this is Colonel Garrett at RDF command it certainly is good to hear that everyone aboard your ship is alive and well. However, we can not allow you to return to Earth. The enemy has not yet attacked Earth. For our safety and yours the longer you keep the enemy away from Earth the better off we'll all be." The colonel said.  
  
"But what about the people of Macross City?" Gloval asked.  
  
"I'm sorry but we cannot discuss this matter any further. We have reason to believe the enemy may be listening in on our conversation." The colonel responded before cutting the transmission.  
  
"That is a total lie. How could they know about anything the enemy has been doing unless they were monitoring us from the moon base?" Mina almost yelled.  
  
"They just signed our death papers." Rei added.  
  
"We told these people we would get them back to Earth and that is just what we're going to do. I think the people of the city should be told what is going on." The captain informed the bridge crew.  
  
"How are you going to do that sir?" Claudia asked.  
  
"I'm going to use their broadcasting system." He replied.  
  
"You're going on TV?" Lisa inquired.  
  
"Yes." The captain answered her.  
  
******  
  
"Five minutes sir." The director told the captain.  
  
Captain Gloval had talked to Paul Marshall the head of the MBS about addressing the people of Macross City. Marshall had agreed to let the captain use the cameras to address the civilians on the SDF1. As the captain sat in his chair he looked over his speech one last time.  
  
"Alright sir we're ready to go live in five, four, three, two, one." the director signaled.  
  
The light on the camera turned on and Captain Gloval began his speech.  
  
"Good evening I am Captain Henry Gloval of the Robotech Defense Force commanding officer of the SDF1. I am coming to you tonight to update you on our current situation. As you may know for the past year we have been on a course to return home to Earth. We are currently four days away from Earth. RDF command has asked us to hold our current position but I have ordered this ship to continue on to Earth. The alien attacks as of late have been increasing and will continue to increase as we get closer to the Earth. We will get all of you back home safely. This I promise to you. Thank you for your time." He said into the camera.  
  
"And we're out." The director said as the broadcast ended.  
  
******  
  
The captain's message brought great concern to the people. They had no idea why the military back on Earth wouldn't want them to return. But as long as the captain had promised to return them safely back to Earth it didn't bother them that much. Only nine individuals on the entire ship truly worried about what was happening to them. The eight women, one man, and the only two cats on the ship knew what this could mean to their future and it had them terrified.  
  
The Sailor Scouts hadn't had an official meeting since the defeat of Galaxia six years prior. At the time when they first signed up for the RDF they didn't think about the possibility of the future being changed. Only until three years had passed and the thought of not being able to return to Earth had begun to run through their minds did they even think about the future being changed. Serena was the first to begin voicing these concerns.  
  
"This sure feels weird." Lita commented.  
  
"I know it doesn't feel official without the temple setting." Mina added.  
  
"Or the yelling and arguing between Serena and Rei." Amy said.  
  
"Yes but we still have a serious matter to discuss." Luna reminded them.  
  
"We have no idea how recent events will affect the future." Artemis said.  
  
"What if this does affect the future? What if we never have a Crystal Tokyo?" Serena asked them.  
  
"The only person who can tell us that is you Trista." Michelle told her. "Sorry now that I'm outside the gate I don't know!" Trista said.  
  
"What about Michelle and Rei? Haven't you two been getting any premonitions?" Darien wondered.  
  
"The only ones I've gotten lately have been your average run of the mill bad vibes before the enemy attacks." Rei replied.  
  
"I haven't been feeling anything either." Michelle told him.  
  
"Well maybe we could... no that wouldn't work on the ship." Mina said.  
  
Everyone knew what Mina was thinking of. And with their only legal way of predicting the future back on Earth getting home had become even more important. The Scouts knew if Serena and Darien didn't take their rightful place as the rulers of the Earth all would be lost and Crystal Tokyo and Rini along with the scouts would cease to exist.  
  
"You know I can't do that without the Sacred Fire." Rei reminded them.  
  
"That's why we have to get back to Earth." Lita said.  
  
"Can't we use the mirror to see things?" Amy suggested.  
  
"While that is a good idea I don't see clear images with my mirror I only get flashes of what might be. The mirror is more for revealing the truth than anything else." Michelle explained.  
  
Everyone hung their heads low when they heard this. The Scouts knew Trista was right and even if she could tell them she wasn't allowed to reveal the future willingly.  
  
"This is hopeless I'll never be a mother. I'll never be queen. And I'll have to live on this ship till I'm old and gray." Serena wailed.  
  
"I know how you feel we all do Serena. We all want to go home but right now we can't." Hotaru told Serena sympathetically.  
  
"Cheer up buns we'll make it home someday." Amara reassured her.  
  
******  
  
The crew of the SDF1 was all business the morning after the captain made his announcement to the entire ship. No one wanted to do anything that would cause further trouble with RDF command. They all knew what the higher ups in the RDF would do if they went against RDF policy. And no one wanted to face court marshal proceedings. RDF policy was considered to be very strict.  
  
Even though the SDF1 was four days out from Earth the captain had decided to hold their position until the situation with the RDF command died down a bit. Gloval didn't want to rush home and further complicate things. Right now he would have the bridge crew monitor the aliens' activity and keep open the lines of communication.  
  
******  
  
Khyron wanted to get back into Breetai's good graces. He knew another attack on the SDF1 would be the best possible way to get the Zentreadi commander to recognize him once more. The Zentreadi squad leader wasn't about to let this opportunity pass him by. Taking his best men the overconfident Khyron headed towards the Micronian ship.  
  
******  
  
The alarms on board the SDF1 began to go off signaling another enemy attack. Lisa punched the red alert button calling the Veritech squads to battle.  
  
"All Veritechs report for duty." Lisa's voice called out over the PA system.  
  
One by one the Veritech squads scrambled into battle. The enemy pods converged on the oncoming fighters firing at anyone that got in their way. Most of the squads were able to dodge the laser.  
  
Rick's Vermilion squad was not as lucky. As Rick, Max, Kevin, Justin and Nathan held off the pods that were firing upon them Ben was having a rough time. One by one the pods began firing on Ben's Veritech. Shot after shot bombarded the fighter barely missing it. After five solid minutes of being fired upon one shot finally made its mark and hit Ben's fighter causing a slow fuel leak.  
  
Rick noticed the hit the fighter had taken decided enough was enough. It was time to get his squad out of the battle before something happened to Ben. Rick informed the SDF1 of his decision.  
  
"This is Lt. Hunter calling the SDF1. One of my squad has taken a hit. I'm bringing them in." he informed the bridge.  
  
"Lt. Hunter it seems to me if the plane your squad member is flying was not heavily damaged then there is no reason for you to return to the SDF1." Lisa told him.  
  
"Commander Hayes, you seem to have forgotten what you learned in the academy. There is no atmosphere here in space, and the smallest damage could prove to be fatal. And while you might feel perfectly safe gambling with our lives when you're safe and sound at your control desk, I'm not about to put my men in that kind of jeopardy!" Rick yelled back at her.  
  
"Lt. Hunter you can..." Lisa began  
  
"Sorry commander but I'm ordering the Vermilion squad back to the SDF1. Lt. Hunter happens to be right this time. One false move and we could all be blown to bits. Oh and Rick it isn't a very good idea to go running off the mouth to your commanding officers." Roy intervened.  
  
******  
  
The battle continued and Khyron wasn't about to take any chances. Aiming his guns Khyron prepared to shoot directly at the SDF1. It was then when Breetai's assistant, right hand man, and messenger Exedore contacted him over the radio.  
  
"Do not fire on the Micronian vessel Khyron. Lord Breetai only wishes you to send a warning shot over their bridge." Exedore told him.  
  
"Lord Breetai can go stand on his head for all I care." Khyron shot back.  
  
Khyron then noticed a small radar dish at the top of the bridge. Changing targets he then aimed his guns at the dish and fired taking out the radar dish.  
  
******  
  
"Damn!" Rei yelled when the radar went blank.  
  
"What's wrong Rei?" Claudia asked her.  
  
"They just shot out our radar dish." Rei told them.  
  
"Do we still have the long range scanners?" The captain asked her.  
  
"Yes at least those are still working." Rei replied.  
  
Michelle was still scanning the communication channels when she noticed a strange noise on the frequency they had originally used to try and contact RDF command. As she boosted the signal the transmission came in loud and clear for all to hear. Everyone was in a state of shock when they heard the alien speaking in perfect English.  
  
"We are the Zentreadi." The alien voice announced.  
  
"Well at least now we know what to call them." Mina said.  
  
"Surrender your vessel now or we will begin attacking your home world." The alien demanded.  
  
TBC  
  
Please R&R! Also please read Sailor Moon Macross by Chibi Halo! 


	9. Part 9

Disclaimer: I do not now or have I ever owned the characters of Sailor Moon, Robotech. People I want to say something about Miss Lynn Minmei. I don't like her. I like the Rick/Lisa romance and Minmei just gets in the way. So if you like her don't read this, however, if you want to see a new bitchy side to Minmei please enjoy! At first she'll be nice until the Miss Macross pageant then watch out people Rick will leave her in the dust for Lisa don't worry I slowly bring Rick and Lisa together. Again I want to thank Chibi Halo who wrote 'Sailor Moon Macross' without this story wouldn't have existed. As always please R&R this so I know how it is coming across to people! Chibi Halo I would like to know what you think as well! Chibi Halo there might be a few scenes in my story but I pray you won't mind. One more thing for the beginning of the first few chapters I will use your chapter names, I will come up with my own after the last chapter you named. People who haven't read her story yet please do it is a great read! Please enjoy and now on with the story! This is the only Disclaimer I will write! I just wanted to thank Chibi Halo for being my beta reader!  
  
Authors note: When ever I am talking about Kevin, Nathan, Justin and Zack as a group I will refer to them as the four earth generals as that is what they were suppose to be in the manga before Beryl brainwashed them!  
  
Here comes Trista ready or not! Oh and Minmei lovers this is the beginning of the end of her old goody two-shoe days! But if you like Rick/Lisa relationships stick with it we're going to be headed there!  
  
Robotech Warriors Book 1 By thunderbird with Sections From Chibi Halo  
  
"Surrender your vessel now or we begin attacking your home world." The alien demanded.  
  
The cards were laid out on the table either give up the ship or get the Earth involved. Either way it was a lose-lose situation. The bridge crew of the SDF1 was in a state of shock over what they had just heard. No one had expected the Zentreadi to be capable of speaking in English.  
  
"The Zentreadi don't expect us to hand over a ship full of civilians to them do they?" Lisa asked.  
  
"From the sound of it they do. They expect us to sacrifice a few thousand to save billions." The captain told the crew.  
  
"There has to be some way we can keep them from attacking the Earth and getting the SDF1." Claudia wondered aloud.  
  
"Right now I just don't know Claudia." The captain replied.  
  
"Well what can we do captain?" Mina asked.  
  
"That's one thing I'm going to have to think over thoroughly before I can come up with a satisfactory answer Mina." He explained.  
  
The girls knew what the answer to the Zentreadi's demands would be. There would be no way Captain Gloval would sacrifice either the SDF1 or the Earth. And the captain would try and do everything within his power to try and keep both from happening. The only question was what would he do.  
  
******  
  
Part 9: Capture  
  
******  
  
Zentreadi, the aliens now had a name to go along with the thirty-foot menace that had been stalking the SDF1 for a year. And for that past year people in the RDF on board the SDF1 either referred to them as the enemy or simply the aliens. Now that the enemy threat had a name attached to it the Zentreadi took on a whole different meaning. People began to wonder what they were actually like and why they were attacking the SDF1.  
  
Captain Henry Gloval was no exception. As he sat in his office he wondered why the Zentreadi waited for so long to contact them. Was it because they were so close to Earth? Or was it because of some other underlying reason? The captain was at a loss for words but he did have a plan.  
  
After leaving the bridge to consider his options Henry Gloval had decided to try and pull the same stunt the Zentreadi had pulled on them. He was going to listen in on their conversations. And the best way he knew how to accomplish that was to send someone out in the Cat's Eye recon plane. The best person he knew for this particular job was none other than his first officer Lisa Hayes.  
  
******  
  
"Lisa I'd like to see you in my office please." Captain Gloval said.  
  
As she followed the captain to his office Lisa wondered what he wanted to see her about. She had a feeling it might have something to do with the Zentreadi but there was no way to be absolutely certain. When they reached his office the captain offered Lisa a seat.  
  
"Have a seat Lisa." He said.  
  
"Thank you sir." Lisa began, "Sir if you don't mind me asking why did you ask to see me?"  
  
"Lisa I have a special assignment for you. I want you to go on a reconnaissance mission in the Cat's Eye." The captain told her.  
  
"Where to sir?" Lisa wanted to know.  
  
"You will gather information on the Zentreadi ships and their transmissions." He replied.  
  
"I see sir. Will I have a pilot on this mission?"  
  
"We will find a pilot for the Cat's Eye and have escorts to keep you and the plane in one piece."  
  
"When do I leave?"  
  
"As soon as the pilot and the escorts are debriefed you will leave for your mission."  
  
******  
  
Roy wondered why the captain wanted to see him. He figured it might have something to do with recent events. Dozens of questions were racing through his mind. Maybe the captain had a mission for him and his squad. The skull squad had been doing all right since Rick and Serena left to head their own squads. With five less members Roy's squad wasn't the largest in the fleet anymore.  
  
When he reached the captain's office Roy knocked on the door and nervously waited for a reply.  
  
"Enter." The captain called through the door.  
  
"You wanted to see me sir?" Roy asked him.  
  
"Yes, I need your assistance in selecting individuals to assist Commander Hayes on a mission I have assigned to her." Captain Gloval explained.  
  
"What kind of mission is she going on?"  
  
"Commander Hayes will be gathering information on the Zentreadi fleet and their transmissions."  
  
"The Zentreadi sir?"  
  
"Yes the aliens have finally made an official introduction."  
  
"How will she be going about this mission?"  
  
"The commander will be using the Cat's Eye recon plane."  
  
"So you'll need a pilot and at least three other planes assisting her then."  
  
"Yes, do you have anyone in mind for this mission?"  
  
"Well Lt. Tuskino can fly the Cat's Eye and three members of the Vermilion Squad can provide backup. But I know I wouldn't feel right if I didn't send Corporal Shields along too." Roy said.  
  
"Why did you chose him as well?"  
  
"He and Lt. Tuskino make a great team sir. I saw it from day one and besides the three members of Rick's squad I'm thinking of could use the experience of another level headed individual like him."  
  
"Alright he'll go with them. I want you to brief them on the mission as soon as possible."  
  
"Aye sir." Roy said as he got up to leave.  
  
******  
  
Darien, Max, and Ben sat in the briefing room waiting for the briefing to get underway. The three pilots had no clue as to why they were asked to meet in the room. Serena had told Darien she had some important information to tell him. And Rick wanted to see Ben and Max at the same time in the same room. The three pilots thought it was odd they were there at the same time for different reasons.  
  
As they sat there waiting for someone to show up Serena walked into the room. Darien could tell whatever she needed to tell him it was quite serious.  
  
"Good morning gentleman." Serena began, "As soon as Lt. Hunter arrives we can begin."  
  
Two minutes later Rick walked into the briefing room and took his place next to Serena.  
  
"Now that everyone is here let's begin." Serena said, "We've called you here because we have been asked to assist Commander Hayes on a very important mission."  
  
"Commander Hayes has been asked by the captain to gather information on the enemy fleet using the Cat's Eye recon plane." Rick told them.  
  
"I have been asked to fly the commander in the Cat's Eye." Serena announced.  
  
"The rest of us will provide backup for them under my command." Rick said.  
  
"Serena did they mention what the significance of this mission is?" Darien asked.  
  
"As a matter of fact they did. Since last night's broadcast we have learned more about our enemy. This morning at exactly 08:00 Corporal Michelle Kaiou picked up a transmission from the Zentreadi fleet. Because of the nature of their transmission the captain needs to gather more information about them before he can choose a proper course of action. At least that's what Roy told us." Serena explained.  
  
"Lt. Hunter why aren't the other members of the Vermilion squad joining us?" Ben asked.  
  
"Because this is a simple search and find mission! We don't want to draw attention to ourselves." Rick said.  
  
"When do we leave?" Max wanted to know.  
  
"As soon as this briefing is over we go to the Prometheus and meet up with the commander." Rick told the others.  
  
"Is it over yet?" Ben asked.  
  
Rick and Serena looked at each other for a moment before giving the final answer to the question.  
  
"It's over." They said in unison.  
  
******  
  
The Cat's Eye sailed along through space headed towards the Zentreadi fleet. The inhabitants of the plane were quiet and focused on the mission at hand. Lisa kept her eyes on her instrument panel and would every once in a while look in her flight suit to make certain she remembered to bring her digital recorder with her. If they were captured by the Zentreadi Lisa was going to make certain she had every conversation recorded. Serena on the other hand kept her eyes focused on the huge ships ahead.  
  
"Serena do you see the size of those things?" Darien asked her over the radio.  
  
"Yeah they're huge. I guess when you're as big as they are you need a huge ship." She replied.  
  
"Okay everyone keep on your toes we don't know what the Zentreadi might pull." Rick said.  
  
The five planes flew around the Zentreadi fleet gathering as much data as possible. Lisa was amazed at all the information she was getting. And the Zentreadi didn't even know they were being watched. Unfortunately there were no transmissions between ships for her to record. All in all the mission was going quite smoothly.  
  
******  
  
Breetai knew full well that the five planes were out there. He knew that all it would take to capture the Micronians was one well-placed shot on the odd looking plane in the center of the pack, or at least a good hunk of asteroid in the right place at the right time. And once one plane was inside the rest of the planes would come looking for their fallen comrades. It was all just a matter of time.  
  
******  
  
Serena was unaware anything was wrong until it was too late. A chunk of an asteroid smacked into the side of the Cat's Eye causing Serena to loose control of the plane. As the plane began spinning out of control it plowed into a hole in the side of the Zentreadi ship caused by another hunk of the same asteroid. As the plane hit the ship both Serena and Lisa were tossed from the now burning plane.  
  
Darien knew something was wrong. His link to Serena was never wrong and now it was going haywire. Darien had to do something to save the one he loved.  
  
"Guys something's wrong with the Cat's Eye." Darien said to the others.  
  
"How do you know?" Max asked.  
  
"I just do." Darien replied.  
  
"Well then let's get them out of there." Rick said.  
  
As Rick and the others were about to go into the hole that the Cat's Eye had used a small contingent of pods ambushed the group. The four pilots quickly changed into battleoid mode. They were about to engage the Zentreadi pods when Max spoke up.  
  
"Listen you three go get the commander and Lt. Tuskino I think I can hold these guys off."  
  
"You sure you can do it?" Rick asked Max.  
  
"Yes, now go." Max replied.  
  
******  
  
Serena opened her eyes and tried to move. Every muscle in her body screamed out in pain from the jarring fall. Looking over at Commander Hayes Serena could tell she was in the same shape. Man am I going to be feeling it in the morning, Serena thought. As she slowly sat up Serena could hear the commander wake up from the fall.  
  
"Commander Hayes are you alright?" Serena asked her.  
  
"A bit sore but I think I'll survive." Lisa replied.  
  
Looking around the ship Serena and Lisa could see how enormous it was. The ceiling had to be at least one hundred feet above the floor. The doorway looked as though it was at least ten feet wide and ninety feet high. Just how big are these people, Lisa thought.  
  
Serena's curiosity was beginning to get the best of her. Taking a peek through the door Serena could see what looked like the command center of the entire ship. A huge balcony with a glass window overlooked the rest of the room. Serena decided to take a closer look at the room.  
  
Lisa saw Serena enter the room and followed her through the door. Part of her was just as curious about the Zentreadi and part of her wanted to get Serena and get out of the ship. But with the Cat's Eye out of commission leaving on their own was out of the question.  
  
******  
  
Breetai knew the Micronians were on the ship. The moment the hull breech alert had gone off the intruder alarm went off as well. Going into the command deck of the ship Breetai saw two Micronian females. Instinct told Breetai to do away with the females. As he made his way to the females the blonde stepped between him and the other female. Breetai was going to squash the two females like a pair of insects. The moment his foot went up the blonde threw herself on top of the other female and began wailing. The sound hurt Breetai's ears.  
  
******  
  
Rick, Darien, and Ben made their way into the hole in the ship. The moment they were inside the Zentreadi warship the automatic repair measures went into effect.  
  
As Rick looked around he could see no sign of the commander or Serena. All of a sudden out of nowhere Rick heard a loud screeching wail. Rick didn't know who could be making a noise that loud or that high but he did know it had to be one of the girls.  
  
"Serena's in trouble again!" Darien yelled.  
  
"That's Serena?" Rick asked.  
  
"Yes and they're through that door." Darien told them.  
  
Darien and Rick maneuvered their way through the door and saw Serena trying to protect the commander from a very large looking Zentreadi male. The large alien male with his bald head, blue skin, and face plate covering half his face looked as though he was about to step on Serena and Lisa. Rick knew he had to do something to keep them from harm.  
  
Rick sent his Veritech diving for the Zentreadi knocking him onto the ground. As the pair wrestled with each other Serena and Lisa tried to get out of the way. The Zentreadi soldier surprised everyone in the room when he pulled a huge gun on Rick and shot his Veritech in the torso. Rick bailed out of the fighter moments before it went up in smoke.  
  
The Zentreadi wasn't going to take any chances. After shooting Rick's Veritech he then aimed his gun at Darien's fighter and pulled the trigger getting the same results. Before anyone could try and escape the Zentreadi grabbed them and took the small group out of the room.  
  
******  
  
Ben had been covering the exit when a small group of Zentreadi soldiers converged on his location. He tried to hold them off as long as he could but they were able to overpower him. The only course of action for the plucky pilot was to bail out of his fighter and make a run for it. As Ben tried to leave the area one of the soldiers grabbed him and carried him off. This was just not his month.  
  
******  
  
Max had just taken out the last of the pods when he noticed all three signals from the other fighters go dead. Searching around the ship in guardian mode Max saw an open hanger on the side of the main ship. He knew this was the best way to get to his friends and save them. Mustering up all the remaining courage he had left Max entered the Zentreadi ship.  
  
The moment he was inside the ship Max went back to battleoid mode so he could maneuver around the ship easier. Checking outside the hanger Max saw a number of Zentreadi soldiers heading down one of the corridors of the ship. When the soldiers were out of sight Max entered the corridor.  
  
Max knew the best thing to do at the moment was to hide from the Zentreadi until things died down. Looking down the long corridor Max saw a door open and a Zentreadi soldier step out. When the soldier was well out of sight Max checked the door and found the perfect place to hide, the bathroom.  
  
******  
  
Breetai was feeling pretty good as he checked the Micronians over. The call to Lord Dolza was going quite well. Breetai had single handedly captured four Micronian spies. Dolza was pleased.  
  
"Yes these four Micronians will do very well." Dolza said.  
  
"Lord Breetai we've found another Micronian spy." The soldier holding Ben announced.  
  
"So we have five of them now? Excellent. Breetai I want you to bring them to me. Leave Khyron in charge of the fleet until you return." Dolza instructed.  
  
"Yes Lord Dolza." Breetai replied.  
  
Breetai then turned to his subordinates and gave them his orders.  
  
"Put the Micronians into the holding cell then prepare to rejoin the main fleet. Lord Dolza wishes to see the Micronian spies." Breetai told them.  
  
******  
  
The bridge crew of the SDF1 was in total shock when the Cat's Eye and it's four escort planes vanished without a trace. Six of the SDF1's best crewmembers were gone. Rei had been monitoring their progress and received another premonition when one by one the planes began disappearing from her screen. The last one vanished the same time the largest of Zentreadi ships went off her screen.  
  
"Captain my intuition tells me something horrible has happened to the recon mission." Rei said.  
  
"Rei what are we going to do?" Mina asked.  
  
"I don't know Mina! Captain is there anything we can do?" Rei said.  
  
"Let's just hope they're still alive." The captain replied.  
  
******  
  
Word traveled fast in the military section of the SDF1 about the sudden disappearance of the Cat's Eye and its four escort planes. No one knew exactly what had happened to them and everyone began speculating the worst. Everyone began believing they were all dead.  
  
Roy was not too happy about the task given to him. He had to burst the bubble of one of the happiest girls on the entire ship. Roy had to go tell Minmei Rick was missing and presumed dead. Roy had a hard time believing it himself. How Minmei would react to the situation was another story.  
  
Roy walked into the Chinese restaurant hoping to find Minmei inside. Instead he saw Minmei's aunt, Kim, setting tables for the lunch crowd. Mustering up any courage he had left Roy went over to talk to the older Lynn.  
  
"Excuse me Mrs. Lynn but can you tell me where I might find Minmei?" Roy asked her.  
  
"She's up in her room. Why do you ask?" Kim replied.  
  
"I need to talk to her about Rick Hunter. My name is Roy Fokker and I happen to be a friend of his and I have something very important I need to tell her." Roy said.  
  
"I'll show you to her room. But I must tell you I do not appreciate the way that boy treated her the other day!" Kim told him.  
  
"Ma'am I don't wish to get in the middle of their argument!" Roy said.  
  
Kim led Roy up to the apartment above the restaurant and showed him to Minmei's room. Kim knocked on the door and a few moments later Minmei responded.  
  
"Yes." She said.  
  
"Minmei you have a visitor. A gentleman named Roy Fokker." Kim told her.  
  
The door quickly opened and Minmei gave her aunt a look that told the older woman everything would be alright. Kim smiled and went back to her preparations for the lunch crowd.  
  
"You came about Rick haven't you?" Minmei asked Roy.  
  
"Yes it's about Rick." Roy replied.  
  
"I didn't mean to say what I did to him honest. He just made me angry!" Minmei blurted out.  
  
"Whoa take it easy. I didn't come about that. I came on a different matter." Roy said.  
  
"Why did you come then?" Minmei asked a bit worried.  
  
"Well Rick and four others were escorting Commander Lisa Hayes on a recon mission and something went wrong. We don't know exactly what happened but we haven't been able to find them and we have reason to believe they might be dead." Roy told her.  
  
Minmei burst into tears upon hearing Roy's news. Roy held onto the young woman who was soaking his uniform with her tears and let her cry for the both of them.  
  
******  
  
"This is just great." Rick said in frustration.  
  
The five captured members of the SDF1 crew sat in the hold wondering what was going to happen to them next. Rick and Lisa sat at opposite ends of the cell while Serena was crying her eyes out in Darien's arms. Ben just sat in silence taking in his surroundings.  
  
"Do you think I like this anymore than you?" Lisa yelled at Rick.  
  
"I wonder how long we'll be on this tub?" Ben said to no one in particular trying to calm things.  
  
"Minmei's probably giving her first concert by now. And could care less about me!" Rick commented.  
  
By this time Serena had stopped crying and was looking at the long faces on the commander and her friends. Something had to be done to keep them from tearing each other apart. And Serena knew just the thing that would do it a good story. Serena had just the story too, the story of her own life.  
  
"I know what we need to get our minds off our current situation, a story." Serena suggested.  
  
"A story, what is this kindergarten?" Rick complained.  
  
"What kind of story?" Ben asked.  
  
"Well, it's one that has romance, adventure, and magic." Serena told him.  
  
"Where does this story of yours take place?" Lisa wondered a bit curios.  
  
"It starts off on the moon and ends in Tokyo. At least the main story does. The follow up to it has yet to be completed." Serena replied.  
  
"You're not thinking of telling the story I think you thinking of." Darien wanted to know.  
  
"Yes muffin I am." Serena began, "Would you three like to know how we met?"  
  
"Sure it should be an interesting tale." Lisa said.  
  
"I've always liked a good story." Ben added.  
  
"You're gonna tell us anyway so why not." Rick moaned.  
  
"Our story begins over one thousand years ago on the moon..."  
  
******  
  
The entire city gathered at the amphitheater for Minmei's first concert appearance. Not only would the people in the amphitheater see Minmei's performance but also the rest of the city would be able to watch it at home. Ever since she was crowned Miss Macross Minmei was the center of attention. And now once again Minmei's nerves were running a mile a minute. Minmei was going to be alone on stage for the first time since the pageant.  
  
As the lights focused on the stage the orchestra began playing. The people in the audience were ready to see Minmei perform. They didn't care or even know about the missing pilots and their commander. The only thing they cared about was being able to see Minmei sing. And when the orchestra finished its fanfare Minmei walked out on stage wearing her gown from the Miss Macross pageant.  
  
The moment Minmei was in front of the microphone the orchestra began playing Minmei's signature song 'Stage Lights.' When Minmei finished singing the song she addressed the audience.  
  
"Thank you for coming to my concert. This next song I'm going to sing is called 'My Boyfriend is a Pilot.' I'd like to dedicate this song to my special friend Rick Hunter and all the pilots on the SDF1."  
  
The song was soft and slow and appeared to have been written just for her. The crowd loved it and loved Minmei even more. And for the second time since the pageant Minmei felt good about herself.  
  
******  
  
"...Darien's sword was pointed at my head. As I knelt on the ground in front of him I begged and pleaded for Darien to resist Beryl's influence. But Beryl just stood there and laughed at me. 'He'll never listen to you. His mind belongs to me!' she yelled. I knew she may have control over his mind but Darien's heart was still free. 'You can never control his heart!' I yelled back at her. Then one last desperate time I tried to get through to Darien. Taking my star locket I held it out and let the melody play for him. 'Trust in your heart. Touch our locket and be free once more.' I said to him. This time he did not pull away and placed his hand on the locket. As a rush of memories returned to him and Darien was free of Beryl's evil mind control.  
  
"Beryl was outraged over loosing Darien. In a fit of anger she threw a crystal shard at me. Darien, seeing the crystal coming at me, stood between the crystal and me and took it in the back. As his energy was fading Darien was able to send one last rose at Beryl. The rose found its mark and embedded itself in her heart. With his last ounce of strength gone Darien was no more. Beryl crawled off to gather more strength from her master Metallia. As she did I left the cave to prepare for my final fight alone.  
  
"Beryl burst out of the cave and turned to face me. 'So it's just you and I now. You're finished moon brat!' she said to me. Defiantly I issued my challenge to her. 'You'll never win Beryl. Wherever you go I'll find you. I won't rest until you've been stopped.' I called out. Controlling the ice and winds Beryl caused a great column of ice to form around me. Using my abilities and the crystal I broke free and stood before her as Princess Serenity. 'Princess Serenity it can't be!' she yelled. Calling on the strength of my fallen friends I prepared to send my final attack at Beryl. 'I do need you my friends.' Using their energy and powers I called forth the power of my crystal. 'Cosmic Moon Power!' I called out. With that Beryl and the Dark Kingdom were no more." Serena said as she finished her story.  
  
Everyone sat in the hold completely speechless. Lisa had a lot of questions running through her mind. She didn't know where to begin so she asked the obvious question first.  
  
"If Darien was dead how is he able to be alive now?" she asked.  
  
"The crystal granted the last wish in my heart. I wanted to be able to live a normal life once more and have all my friends have a second chance at life including Darien." She explained.  
  
"So you two have been in love since then?" Ben wanted to know.  
  
"Yes we were." Serena explained.  
  
"Let me get this straight you're claiming to be a long lost princess of the moon who also happens to be Sailor Moon." Rick said in disbelief.  
  
"Yep." Serena replied.  
  
"Alright prove it." Rick challenged.  
  
Serena reached behind her back and pulled out her locket from her subspace pocket. She then opened it and called out her transformation phrase.  
  
"Moon Eternal Power!" she called out.  
  
In a flash of light Serena had transformed into Eternal Sailor Moon. Then using all her concentration Sailor Moon became Princess Serenity.  
  
"Now I've seen everything." Rick said.  
  
"Incredible." Ben added.  
  
******  
  
Breetai's warship had traveled halfway across the universe to join with the rest of the main Zentreadi fleet. The large ship made its way to an even larger warship and stopped. The larger of the two ships belonged to the high commander of the Zentreadi military Lord Dolza.  
  
Dolza had wanted to oversee the interrogation of the five captured Micronians personally. When he learned Breetai's ship was now with the rest of the main fleet Dolza set off to board Breetai's ship. This would be the first time anyone talked to a Micronian face to face and Dolza didn't want to miss it.  
  
Lisa, Rick, Serena, Darien, and Ben were brought into a large room and placed on the large conference table. Looking out the nearby window they could see millions of warships. A few moments later Dolza entered the room followed by Breetai, Exedore, Rico, Bron, and Konda. Dolza seemed quite interested in the fact that two of the prisoners were female. He was also interested in the actions of two prisoners that had separated themselves from the others.  
  
Lisa remembered she still had her digital recorder on her and reached into her flight suit to turn it on. There was no way she was going to miss this opportunity.  
  
"I am Lord Dolza high commander of the Zentreadi military. Who is the commander of your mission here?" Dolza said.  
  
"I am." Lisa replied as she stepped forward.  
  
"A female in charge of these males?" Dolza said a bit shocked.  
  
"Yes in our culture males and females work and live together." Lisa explained.  
  
"Males and females actually work together?" Breetai asked.  
  
"Don't males and females work together in your society?" Lisa replied.  
  
"We work separately." Exedore said.  
  
"I have a question. Just how many ships do you have here?" Rick wondered.  
  
"We have between four and five million ships in the entire Zentreadi fleet." Breetai said.  
  
"Whoa that's a lot of ships." Ben commented.  
  
"Where are you hiding your protoculture." Dolza demanded.  
  
"We don't know what you're taking about." Rick replied.  
  
"Were are you hiding the protoculture?" Dolza asked again.  
  
"If we knew what protoculture was we wouldn't tell you about it." Lisa came back.  
  
Dolza was growing weary of the Micronian female and grabbed her. Much to his surprise and the surprise of everyone else in the room the other female stepped forward and stood up to the Zentreadi leader.  
  
"Put her down!" Serena yelled.  
  
"Serena calm down!" Darien whispered to her.  
  
"If you claim you know nothing about protoculture then how do you become Micronians?" Dolza demanded to know.  
  
"We're born that way." Rick said.  
  
"What does that mean?" Exedore asked.  
  
"It means that we come from a man and a woman who love each other." Rick tried to explain.  
  
"What is this love you speak of?" Breetai wanted to know.  
  
"Love is how two people feel about each other. It's the strongest of human emotions and they show it by kissing each other." Ben said.  
  
Dolza was intrigued by what Rick and Ben had told him and wanted to know exactly what a kiss was. And the only way he would know is if someone showed him.  
  
"You two," he said pointing to Rick and Ben, "show me what you mean by kiss."  
  
Kissing, the Zentreadi demanded that Rick and Ben show them kissing. What happened next confused the Zentreadi further. The two pilots stared at each other like they were contaminated  
  
"I'll do it." Lisa volunteered.  
  
Dolza put Lisa down so she could show them kissing. Lisa looked around at the men in the room as though she was picking a piece of produce. After making her decision Lisa walked over to Rick and began talking to him.  
  
"Alright Lt. Hunter you and I are going to kiss." She said to Rick.  
  
"What? Have you lost your mind? What about Ben or Darien?" Rick replied trying to back out.  
  
"I can't kiss Corporal Shields it wouldn't be right. He loves Serena. And as for Corporal Dixon no offense but I couldn't see myself kissing him." Lisa explained.  
  
"Well then why can't Serena and Darien kiss for them?" Rick wanted to know.  
  
"I volunteered to do it. And besides I want to get their reaction on tape." Lisa said.  
  
"You're recording all of this?" Rick asked.  
  
"Yes, that way we'll be able to give our findings to RDF command when we return to the Earth."  
  
"If we return at all."  
  
"Look I don't have time to argue about this Rick so just kiss me already."  
  
"Only if it's an order commander."  
  
"If that's the way you want it to be then I order you to kiss me."  
  
Rick sighed and gave in to Lisa's direct order to kiss her. Leaning in close to each other Rick and Lisa placed their lips together and began kissing. Then without even knowing it Rick pulled Lisa into his arms. Lisa instinctively placed her arms around Rick's neck.  
  
Why does this feel so familiar to me? Rick thought.  
  
Why does it feel like I've kissed him before? Lisa thought to herself.  
  
As the Zentreadi watched Rick and Lisa kiss they began screaming and backing away from the table. Never in all their lives had they seen a male and a female get so close to each other. A minute later when the kiss ended the Zentreadi high commander stared at Rick and Lisa in horror.  
  
Lisa and Rick backed away from each other with looks of dread in their eyes. The simple kiss had become much more then either had intended. What was supposed to be a way to show the Zentreadi what love looked like had turned into the beginnings of real feelings towards one another. Oh my god what just happened there, Lisa thought. I can't be having feelings for Commander Hayes I love Minmei or do I, Rick thought as he stared at Lisa.  
  
"Get them out of here!" Dolza demanded.  
  
Breetai motioned for one of he subordinates to come and take the five prisoners back to the holding cell. The sooner they were out of the room the better. The frightened Zentreadi gathered the prisoners and took them back to their cell.  
  
TBC  
  
Please R&R! 


	10. Part 10

Disclaimer: I do not now or have I ever owned the characters of Sailor Moon, Robotech. People I want to say something about Miss Lynn Minmei. I don't like her. I like the Rick/Lisa romance and Minmei just gets in the way. So if you like her don't read this, however, if you want to see a new bitchy side to Minmei please enjoy! At first she'll be nice until the Miss Macross pageant then watch out people Rick will leave her in the dust for Lisa don't worry I slowly bring Rick and Lisa together. Again I want to thank Chibi Halo who wrote 'Sailor Moon Macross' without this story wouldn't have existed. As always please R&R this so I know how it is coming across to people! Chibi Halo I would like to know what you think as well! Chibi Halo there might be a few scenes in my story but I pray you won't mind. One more thing for the beginning of the first few chapters I will use your chapter names, I will come up with my own after the last chapter you named. People who haven't read her story yet please do it is a great read! Please enjoy and now on with the story! This is the only Disclaimer I will write! I just wanted to thank Chibi Halo for being my beta reader!  
  
Authors note: When ever I am talking about Kevin, Nathan, Justin and Zack as a group I will refer to them as the four earth generals as that is what they were suppose to be in the manga before Beryl brainwashed them!  
  
Here comes Trista ready or not! Oh and Minmei lovers this is the beginning of the end of her old goody two-shoe days! But if you like Rick/Lisa relationships stick with it we're going to be headed there!  
  
Robotech Warriors Book 1 By thunderbird with Sections From Chibi Halo  
  
Max wondered how long he was hiding in the oversized Zentreadi bathroom. I must have set a new record for being in the bathroom, he thought. Since the ambush outside the Zentreadi warship Max had yet to see Rick, Lisa, Serena, Darien, or Ben. He hoped his friends and colleagues were alright and nothing had happened to them. Max knew he would never forgive himself if anyone of them were hurt.  
  
Rick, Lisa, Serena, Darien, and Ben were back in the holding cell. There was no way the Zentreadi were going to let them live if they had such a powerful weapon such as kissing. To the Zentreadi everything was seen as a weapon of destruction. And to them the kiss was the most powerful weapon they had ever seen.  
  
Rico, Bron, and Konda were confused by what they had seen and heard. Not every Zentreadi knew exactly what protoculture was. They just knew that protoculture was important to the Zentreadi society. The questions Lord Dolza had asked the Micronians raised even more questions in the minds of the battle suit pilots. Curiosity was dictating they learn what protoculture really was.  
  
*******  
  
Part Ten: Rescue  
  
********  
  
With the Micronians back in the holding cell away from the Zentreadi Dolza could concentrate on what to do next. He needed to know as much as he could about the Micronians and their strange ways of life. He also needed to know if they had any more powerful weapons like the kiss that he had just witnessed. As Dolza contemplated the next logical step to take Rico, Bron, and Konda, began voicing the questions they had on their minds.  
  
"Sir, if you don't mind me asking you just what exactly is protoculture?" Rico asked.  
  
"Yeah and why is it so important to the Zentreadi?" Bron wondered.  
  
"And what do the Micronians have to do with all this?" Konda inquired.  
  
Dolza knew these questions would come eventually. Very few Zentreadi knew exactly what protoculture was and why it existed. Dolza happened to be one of the few who knew what protoculture was. Taking a deep breath Dolza began to explain protoculture to everyone in the room.  
  
"In the beginning we Zentreadi weren't very different from the Micronians. Males and females lived together, worked together, and fought together. But as time went on great inefficiencies began to arise among our people. To end those inefficiencies males and females were ordered to live and work separately from each other. Over time we began to fade in numbers. It wasn't until our scientists discovered protoculture that our society began to return to glory. With protoculture a new generation of Zentreadi could be created. Over time we Zentreadi became the society we are today." Dolza said.  
  
"But why do we need to capture the Micronian ship Lord Dolza?" Konda asked.  
  
"Because our numbers are beginning to fall once more. We need the protoculture the Micronians have to rebuild our numbers." Dolza explained, "But before we can capture the Micronian ship we must first learn about the weapons the Micronians possess."  
  
"How are we going to do that?" Rico wondered.  
  
"By sending down three spies." Dolza said looking at the three battle suit pilots.  
  
******  
  
While the explanation of protoculture was taking place on Breetai's warship a different scene was taking place on anther warship. Azonia the commander of the female half of the Zentreadi military and Breetai's equal in rank was quite angry. She couldn't understand how Dolza could send Khyron to assist Breetai in his mission to capture the wayward alien ship. Azonia thought she should be the one to lead the attacks on the battlecruiser.  
  
"How could he do this to me?" the short blue haired woman yelled out.  
  
"Lord Dolza must have had his reasons." One of her squad leaders replied.  
  
"Yes he must have Miriya." Azonia said.  
  
The tall Zentreadi woman standing before Azonia had long green hair and dark blue eyes. She was considered to be one of the best female battle suit pilots in all of the Zentreadi military. As a member of the elite squad the Quadronos she was respected by both males and females alike. Miriya was Azonia's best pilot.  
  
"I should have been the one to lead the attacks on the Micronian ship not that dolt Khyron." Azonia complained.  
  
"I'm sure you'll get your chance. For now we have to wait and see what Lord Dolza's interrogation reveals." Miriya reassured her.  
  
"Yes and when I do I'll show them just how good we really are." Azonia said with a slight grin.  
  
******  
  
Khyron was in charge of the fleet and loving every minute of it. It didn't matter to him that Breetai had demanded that three of his men return to the main fleet with him. And it didn't matter that Breetai was receiving all the attention after capturing five Micronians. The only thing that mattered to Khyron was the fact that he was in charge now.  
  
Khyron thrived on being able to give orders. He hated being the one having to take orders from someone like Breetai. And now that Breetai had left to join Dolza and the main fleet Khyron was on cloud nine. Khyron was the one giving the orders now.  
  
"Now that Breetai is out of the way we can get down to business." Khyron told his men.  
  
"Are we going to attack the Micronians?" one of his men asked.  
  
"Yes and this time we're going to do things my way." Khyron said.  
  
******  
  
Max was getting tired of hiding in the toilet stall. As his Veritech sat on the toilet Max saw the handle to the door of the stall move. Someone was opening the door to the toilet. Max froze as sheer terror ran down his spine. He didn't know who or what was on the other side of the door and what they would do to him. Taking a deep breath Max prepared for what would happen next.  
  
The stall door opened and revealed a rather large Zentreadi soldier. Max took one look at the soldier and panicked. Fear overtook Max's mind and the plucky young Veritech pilot cold cocked the Zentreadi soldier right between the eyes knocking him out cold.  
  
Seizing the opportunity Max took the uniform off of the Zentreadi soldier and dressed his Veritech in the guise. The coat and pants were a bit big on the Veritech but hid the battleoid quite well. With the hat on the head of the Veritech Max was certain no one would be able to recognize his fighter. He then threw the unconscious Zentreadi into the stall. All he needed to do now was find the others.  
  
******  
  
"Did you see the looks on their faces when you two kissed?" Ben asked Rick and Lisa.  
  
"Did you see the looks on your own faces when you two stopped kissing?" Serena asked them.  
  
Rick and Lisa hadn't said a word to each other since they kissed. The two officers were trying to figure out why they had held the kiss for as long as they did. And from what Ben was saying the kiss obviously had some sort of major impact on the Zentreadi or else they wouldn't have had them put back into the hold. While Rick was sorting out his feelings Lisa was formulating a plan of escape. Looking around the room Lisa saw one sleeping guard.  
  
"I take it the Zentreadi were actually afraid of our kiss?" Lisa asked.  
  
"Afraid? It turned them into frightened babies." Serena said.  
  
"Interesting. We just might be able to use that to our advantage. When sleeping beauty over there wakes up we're going to scare the pants off of him." Lisa told her.  
  
"How?" Serena wanted to know.  
  
"We'll kiss. If the sight of one couple kissing does what you said it did then two couples kissing should have him screaming for mommy." Lisa explained.  
  
Serena let out a giggle at the thought of a Zentreadi soldier screaming and running like a two-year-old. She then quickly stopped laughing when she hear footsteps heading their way. Looking in the direction of the footsteps Serena saw what she thought was another Zentreadi soldier.  
  
"Pucker up commander we've got company coming." Serena said.  
  
Lisa walked over to Rick while Serena went to talk to Darien. Serena had no trouble getting Darien to go along with the plan. Lisa however, was not having much luck with Rick.  
  
"Kiss me." Lisa said.  
  
"Listen commander once was enough for me." Rick replied.  
  
"Look if you want to get out of here then you'll kiss me." Lisa ordered.  
  
"Okay if that's what you want." Rick said giving in.  
  
Lisa and Rick soon joined Serena and Darien in the kissing contest. The soldier, whom they thought was a Zentreadi, just stood there and wondered what was going on.  
  
******  
  
Max was overjoyed when he found the holds. He knew it would be just a matter of time before he found the others. The lone sleeping guard posed no problem for Max who put a killing blow on his nose. As Max was about to turn and free the others he saw a sight that had him puzzled. Rick, Lisa, Serena, and Darien were kissing. Max could understand Serena and Darien but the sight of Rick and Lisa kissing had him puzzled. As far as he knew the two disliked each other with a passion.  
  
Unlocking the door to the cell Max decided he was going to milk this situation for all it was worth.  
  
"Gee Lt. Hunter I didn't know you were such a ladies man. Minmei isn't going to like this when she finds out." Max joked.  
  
"Max! Boy are we glad to see you." Ben called out.  
  
The two kissing couples stopped their kissing the moment they found out who the soldier was. Serena and Darien hugged each other and smiled at Max. Rick and Lisa on the other hand pulled away from each other and began turning beet red.  
  
"Don't worry I won't tell a soul about you two." Max said, "Now let's get out of here."  
  
Max picked up the five captives and put them into the pockets of the uniform. Rick and Lisa were given their own private pocket while Serena, Darien, and Ben were put in the other pocket. Max decided the two new lovebirds needed some time alone.  
  
******  
  
Breetai was in a lot of trouble with Dolza. For one thing the Zentreadi commander hadn't been able to capture the SDF1. And the men under his command failed each time they went into battle. If the Zentreadi were going to succeed in their mission to retrieve the SDF1 a new commander was going to be needed to take over for Breetai. And Dolza had just the individual for the job Azonia.  
  
As Breetai waited for Dolza to return to the conference room he contemplated his future in the Zentreadi army. He knew Dolza would not be so lenient with him as he had been on the past. And Breetai knew the time had come for a change. That change would more than likely involve him.  
  
Dolza walked into the room with an emotionless look on his face. The Zentreadi high commander, like all Zentreadi, was incapable of showing his true feelings. It was the way he looked at Breetai that told the Zentreadi commander he was in trouble.  
  
"Breetai I'm pulling you off this mission. Azonia will now be the commander of this mission." Dolza informed him.  
  
"I understand Lord Dolza." Breetai replied.  
  
******  
  
The bridge crew of the SDF1 was deadly silent as they went about their duties for the day. The loss of an entire squad plus the first officer and two pilots was hard on everyone. With Serena and Darien gone Rei knew the future was in trouble. If they weren't around Crystal Tokyo might never come into existence. And since their disappearance Rei didn't have a single vision.  
  
Mina was given the task of filing the commander's position until a replacement could be found. The control panel at the commander's station was different from the one she used. The placement of the buttons and dials had Mina going in circles and she couldn't begin to figure out the shield controls. If the Zentreadi were to attack Mina would be up the creek without a paddle.  
  
"Captain we've got a problem here." Rei said when she noticed a large number of pods headed towards the SDF1.  
  
******  
  
Khyron could care less what Breetai would say if he found out about the attack. The squad commander was through taking orders from the bald headed Zentreadi. Now the only thing on his mind was attacking the SDF1 and bringing glory to the Zentreadi name. If Khyron had his way he would never have to take orders ever again.  
  
As the pods made their way towards the SDF1 Khyron gave his squad their orders.  
  
"I don't care what's been said in the past I want that ship shot down!" he yelled, "There is no way they are going to humiliate me this time."  
  
******  
  
Mina tried her hardest to work the controls as the attack began. Every maneuver she made was seconds off resulting in minor damage to the SDF1. And after every hit to the SDF1 Mina would apologize to the rest of the crew. Mina spent more time apologizing than she did trying to control the shields.  
  
"Sorry about that." Mina said as the SDF1 took another hit.  
  
"Mina quit apologizing and start paying attention." Rei snapped.  
  
"I'm doing the best I can under the circumstances Rei." Mina shot back.  
  
"Ladies please we have a situation on our hands that needs our full attention." The captain said.  
  
"I wish the commander was here." Mina moaned.  
  
"We all wish they were all here Mina but we can't dwell on that right now." Claudia reminded her.  
  
"Please come back to us Serena the future needs you." Rei said to no one in particular.  
  
******  
  
Serena was enjoying the ride in the large pocket of the Zentreadi uniform. Sticking her head out Serena could feel the air rush by her as Max's Veritech made it's way down the corridor. Giggling and laughing like a schoolgirl Serena was having the time of her life. That was until a large finger pushed her back inside the pocket.  
  
"Hey! What was that for?" Serena yelled.  
  
"Sorry lieutenant but I can't have you sticking your head out of the pocket. Do you want the Zentreadi to spot you?" Max explained.  
  
"Um no. I guess I wasn't thinking Max." Serena replied.  
  
The Veritech continued down the corridor in silence as Max searched for a way out of the ship. Turning the corner Max was spotted by a Zentreadi soldier who wasn't easily fooled by the disguise. The Zentreadi began opening fire on the Veritech forcing everyone to bail out of the uniform. Hitting the ground the five individuals ran in three different directions to avoid being shot at.  
  
******  
  
Azonia was still fuming over the fact that Khyron was sent to assist Breetai and not her. If anything she was ten times better than Khyron was. And she would have captured the Micronian ship by now. Azonia just couldn't see what was so special about the arrogant squad commander. All she saw was a vain self-centered male who could care less about anyone else.  
  
"Azonia I have an incoming message from Lord Dolza." One of her crewmembers said.  
  
"Put it through." Azonia replied.  
  
On the screen was none other than Lord Dolza himself. Azonia knew this had to be good if he was calling her personally.  
  
"Yes Lord Dolza." Azonia said.  
  
"Azonia I am sending you to take over the mission to capture the Micronian ship. Breetai has failed me miserably and right now I need his efforts directed elsewhere for the time being. I'll need you to dock your ship with his to receive supplies and personnel." Dolza told her.  
  
"Personnel Lord Dolza?" Azonia asked him.  
  
"Yes you are going to be taking with you three micronized spies. You are to have one of your pilots place them on the Micronian ship. It will be their job to gather information on the Micronians."  
  
"Yes Lord Dolza."  
  
Azonia knew Dolza was asking a lot of her. Very few Zentreadi were ever micronized. The technology for the micronization was available and it had been used in the past. In fact every ship in the fleet had a micronization chamber. But only a select few were ever chosen for the process. If Dolza was having three of them undergo the process he must have had very good reasons.  
  
******  
  
The large ship felt like an endless maze. The moment they hit the ground Serena and Darien ran as fast as they could. They didn't notice which way the others had gone. The Zentreadi soldier continued to open fire on the area. The only thing they knew was Max was covering everyone allowing them to run.  
  
"I hope they made it out alright." Serena said between breaths.  
  
"I'm sure they did." Darien reassured her.  
  
As the couple ran down the long hallway they came to what appeared to be a large supply room. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around Serena and Darien decided to hide in the room.  
  
"This looks like a good place to resituate ourselves." Darien said.  
  
"Great I could use a break." Serena replied catching her breath.  
  
******  
  
Rick and Lisa had also ran the moment they hit the ground. And like Serena and Darien they didn't notice where the others had gone. The only thing on their minds was getting away from the Zentreadi soldier. As they ran down one of the long corridors the pair noticed they were being followed. Another one of the Zentreadi soldiers had spotted the pair of Micronians running down the hall.  
  
"This is just great." Lisa said.  
  
"Tell me about it." Rick added.  
  
As Rick and Lisa rounded the corner they noticed a large room. On the floor of the room Lisa spotted what looked like an electrical cord near the doorway. Grabbing the cord and pulling it taut Lisa waited for the Zentreadi soldier to enter the room.  
  
The moment the Zentreadi entered the room he tripped over the cord and fell. Upon hitting the ground the gun he was carrying was knocked out of his hand. Seizing the opportunity Rick grabbed the large gun, aimed it upward, and cocked the hammer back waiting for the Zentreadi to make a move. When the oversized soldier got up Rick pulled the trigger causing a laser blast to hit the Zentreadi in the lower abdomen. As the laser left the gun the kickback on the large firearm knocked Rick to the ground.  
  
Lisa saw Rick and the Zentreadi fall to the ground. The gun Rick had used lay on top pinning him to the ground. Lisa ran over and pushed the firearm off of Rick allowing him to be able to move.  
  
"Lieutenant are you alright?" Lisa asked him.  
  
"I think so. Just a few bruises and some sore muscles." Rick replied.  
  
With the Zentreadi threat temporarily over Rick and Lisa were able to get a good look at their surroundings. The large room contained three large tubes that were marked protoculture chambers. Looking at the chambers Lisa began speculating what they were used for.  
  
"What do you think those are for commander?" Rick asked her.  
  
"I have a feeling that's how the Zentreadi were able to get to be so large. And I have a feeling that's how they came to be. They did say males and females are separate. At one point they had to be the same size as us." Lisa surmised.  
  
"Why would they want to shrink themselves?" Rick wondered.  
  
"I have no idea." Lisa replied.  
  
Lisa pulled out her digital recorder and began filming the room. She knew the captain and the rest of the top brass on the SDF1 and at RDF command would need visual evidence if they were to believe her. But there was only one person Lisa really needed to convince her father.  
  
"This is incredible." Lisa commented.  
  
"So commander who are the films for?" Rick asked her.  
  
"The idea to take the camera along was the captain's. He wanted to have visual evidence to send to the brass at the RDF command. He figured it would be the only way to convince them the Zentreadi threat is real. But I also want to use this to prove to my father that my decision to go into the military was right." Lisa explained to Rick.  
  
"Your father didn't like the military?"  
  
"No my father was and still is the military. My father is Admiral Hayes one of the heads of the RDF. Growing up we moved around a lot each time my father was promoted. It was hard being the admiral's daughter. He treated me like I was another soldier. Everything had to be completely spotless in my room. I was even subjected to the white glove test once a week. But he still loved me and that was his way of raising me. It was only until a friend of the family went into the junior academy that things began to change. He treated him like the son he never had. He even gave him the recommendation he needed to get into the Air Force Academy. I kept telling him I wanted to go into the academy myself and he kept telling me he didn't want his daughter to be a part of the military. I still went into the academy and I graduated with honors. My father wasn't thrilled about me going into the academy and we've barely spoken since then." Lisa explained to Rick.  
  
"Wow I never knew you had things so strict growing up." Rick commented.  
  
"Ever since I came into the RDF from the academy I've dedicated myself to becoming the model soldier so my father would be proud of me. I just hope with this video he'll speak to me more."  
  
******  
  
Ben had stayed near the scuffle between Max and the first Zentreadi soldier. When Max's ship suffered damage that caused it to blow up forcing Max to bail out Ben helped him get to safety. Now the two friends were trying to find a way to get off the Zentreadi warship. The long corridor they had chosen seemed to go on forever. And the nearest room was nowhere in sight. If another Zentreadi soldier came into view they would be dead meat.  
  
"Where were you all that time Max?" Ben wanted to know.  
  
"I hid in a toilet stall." Max replied.  
  
"Doesn't this hall ever come to an end?" Ben complained.  
  
"You know you don't have to help me anymore." Max said.  
  
"Do you think the others made to safety?" Ben asked Max as he let go of his friend.  
  
"I'm sure they did buddy." Max replied with a smile.  
  
"I hope so."  
  
"Well weather they did or not we have to get you back to the SDF1."  
  
"Why is that?"  
  
"You know a bit more about the Zentreadi then I do and the captain and the other big shots back on the SDF1 will want to know what you've learned."  
  
"Yeah but I'm not good at that kind of stuff."  
  
"I'll be there to help you out buddy. Now let's find a way out of here."  
  
******  
  
Azonia had been given her orders. Breetai had messed up badly and it was now up to her to set things straight. And the first order of business would be to get Khyron back in line. His performance as of late according to Breetai was not good. Khyron was constantly disobeying orders. This was one part of the mission Azonia was looking forward to. But that would have to wait until after Dolza's three spies were deposited on the Micronian ship. And Azonia knew the perfect individual for the job her best pilot Miriya.  
  
Azonia knew Miriya would be able to get the three spies on board the Micronian ship undetected. The young female was the best of the best. And as a highly decorated member of the Quadronos Miriya had more experience than any other pilot under Azonia's command.  
  
"Miriya I have a little job for you." Azonia said to the young pilot.  
  
"Yes Azonia." Miriya replied.  
  
"Lord Dolza wants you to oversee the micronization and placement of three spies."  
  
"Where are they going?"  
  
"The Micronian ship. It seems Breetai hasn't been living up to Dolza's expectations."  
  
"They finally put you in command of the mission?"  
  
"Yes and it's about time too."  
  
******  
  
As Serena and Darien waited for things to die down they began to once again contemplate their future. Serena began wondering if they would ever see the Earth and their family and friends ever again. And it looked to her the Earth would be doomed if she and Darien didn't get back there to take their place as world leaders. This had Serena scared.  
  
"Darien I'm scared." Serena said.  
  
"I know this seems a bit frightening but it'll get better." Darien reassured her.  
  
"Not about this about the future."  
  
"Oh that again. We'll make it back."  
  
"Do you think we will?"  
  
"I'm positive we'll make it back to Earth."  
  
"How can you be so sure?"  
  
"Well Trista hasn't said nothing or come for us yet so everything must end up the way it should. Besides somebody has to make it back and tell them what we've seen and heard."  
  
As Serena considered what Darien had told her the door to the supply room opened. Two Zentreadi soldiers walked into the room and began gathering boxes. Darien could see they were placing the boxes on what appeared to be a large cart for moving boxes. Darien wasn't certain where they were taking the supplies but the conversation they were having just might offer some clues.  
  
"Lord Dolza has ordered we give half of Breetai's supplies to Azonia's ship." The first one said.  
  
"Why Azonia?" the second one asked.  
  
"She's taking over Breetai's mission to capture the Micronian ship." The first one explained.  
  
Upon hearing where the two soldiers were going Darien formulated a plan of escape.  
  
"I think we just found our ticket home Serena." Darien said.  
  
"Those two?" Serena asked him.  
  
"The supplies they're getting are going to a ship that will be returning to our solar system."  
  
"So you're saying we should hitch a ride on their cart and then jump onto a totally new Zentreadi ship in order to return home? Have you gone crazy again Darien?"  
  
"You don't see any guys in white turbans running around do you?"  
  
"I guess that answers my question. Okay let's do it."  
  
Serena and Darien made a mad dash for the cart stopping to duck behind a few boxes every few feet so they wouldn't be detected. The two soldiers were so occupied in their job that they didn't even notice the couple making the mad dash for the pushcart. Once Serena and Darien made it to the cart they slipped in between a couple of boxes and waited.  
  
******  
  
Lisa finished filming the strange lab and was ready to find their way out of the ship. Rick was also getting a bit antsy and wanted to high tail it off the Zentreadi warship.  
  
"Alright lieutenant now that I'm finished filming this room I think we'd better find a way off this ship. We have to get this information back to the captain."  
  
Rick was not about to argue with the commander on this one. He wanted to get off the Zentreadi ship just as much as she did. Looking around the room they saw a back way out. The large door led to another corridor. The short hall opened into what appeared to be a large cargo bay.  
  
All around the large room Rick and Lisa could see numerous boxes and barrels stacked almost to the ceiling. Workers were loading the boxes and barrels onto a conveyer belt that led to another Zentreadi ship. The pair knew their only chance of escape would be to get on the conveyer belt and hitch a ride on the waiting Zentreadi warship.  
  
******  
  
Max and Ben finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel. After running down the enormously large corridor for what felt like thirty minutes the two pilots finally saw another room.  
  
"Finally we can get out of this tunnel." Ben commented.  
  
At the end of the hall was a large room filled with boxes and barrels and workers. But two things in the room caught their eyes the large conveyer belt leading to another Zentreadi ship and Commander Hayes and Lt. Hunter. The two pilots looked at each other with huge gins on their faces. The conveyer belt was going to be their ticket off of Breetai's warship.  
  
******  
  
Rick and Lisa continued to watch the movement in the cargo bay. They needed to time their escape just right. If any one of the Zentreadi soldiers saw them then they would be put back in the hold or even worse killed. And with the information Lisa had on her digital recorder it was vital they get back to the SDF1 and fast.  
  
Rick was so busy watching the Zentreadi workers he didn't notice a hand being placed on his shoulder. Turning around with a jump Rick was overjoyed to see the smiling faces of Max and Ben behind them. Rick figured the two pilots had the same idea.  
  
"Boy am I glad to see you two." Rick said  
  
"Any idea where that other ship is going sir?" Ben asked.  
  
"We have no idea." Rick told them.  
  
"Let's hope it's going our way." Max commented.  
  
"Well wherever it's going they certainly need a lot of supplies." Lisa surmised.  
  
At that moment two large Zentreadi soldiers wheeled in a huge pushcart full of boxes. As the soldiers stopped to check in with their commanding officer two heads popped out from between the bottom boxes. There was no mistaking the modified double bun hairstyle of one Lt. Serena Tuskino. Lisa popped her head out from behind the crate they were hiding behind and tried to catch Serena and Darien's attention. The young lieutenant caught site of the commander and pointed Darien's head in her direction.  
  
"Commander what are you doing?" Rick asked her.  
  
"See that oversized pushcart." Lisa said pointing to the cart Serena and Darien were on.  
  
"Yeah what about it?" Rick wanted to know.  
  
"Tuskino and Shields are on that thing." She told him.  
  
"Now that was a pretty gutsy move the lieutenant made there" Max commented.  
  
On the cart Serena and Darien were having a conversation of their own.  
  
"Do you think it's safe to go over there?" Serena wondered.  
  
"As long as those two don't return anytime soon we should be fine." Darien said.  
  
"Okay then that settles it. We're going for it."  
  
Serena and Darien made a mad dash from the cart to crates. Running at speeds that they hadn't used in years the couple made it safely without a single Zentreadi noticing them.  
  
"Yes! I still go it." Serena said triumphantly.  
  
"I haven't ran like that since the incident on your fifteenth birthday." Darien added.  
  
"Okay now that we're all here it's time we got off this ship. That conveyer belt over there leads to another ship. Now I'm not certain where it's going but we can't stay here much longer." Lisa told them.  
  
Serena got a big grin on her face like she and Darien knew something the other four didn't. Unable to contain herself any longer Serena began giggling.  
  
"Get ready to scream because we're going home." Serena announced.  
  
"And just how would you know that?" Rick asked her.  
  
"Two oversized birdies told us." Serena replied.  
  
"Come again?" Ben asked a bit confused.  
  
"We overheard a couple of Zentreadi talking while we were hiding out in a supply room. Those crates and barrels are going onto a ship headed for our solar system." Darien explained.  
  
"Oh." The rest of them said in unison.  
  
There was no doubt about hopping onto the conveyer belt once they heard where the ship at the other end was headed. The six former captives made one last dash for the conveyer belt and climbed on. But as they were making their way up Lisa lost her grip on her digital recorder sending it tumbling to the hard floor below where it smashed into what seemed like a million pieces.  
  
"Oh no all my evidence." Lisa almost yelled.  
  
Once on the conveyer belt the five subordinates pulled the stunned Lisa Hayes between a pair of crates and headed for the ship that would take them to freedom.  
  
******  
  
Azonia couldn't wait any longer. The moment the last of the supplies and the three spies were on board her ship the female commander ordered her crew to head to Breetai's last position before rejoining the main fleet. Azonia wanted to take over the mission as soon as possible.  
  
Miriya and the three Zentreadi spies Rico, Bron, and Konda, were waiting for Azonia in the micronization lab. The spies had heard about micronization and they knew that every ship in the Zentreadi fleet possessed protoculture chambers for micronization. And with protoculture supplies at an all time low micronization was becoming a rare occurrence.  
  
Azonia entered the lab a few moments later and addressed those assembled.  
  
"Miriya please explain to our guests what they are about to undergo." Azonia said.  
  
"You three will be put in those chambers and shrunk down to the size of a Micronian. I will then place you into a pod and take you to the Micronian ship where you will land. You are to blend in with the Micronians and learn their secrets. You will find out how they train and live and where they hide their protoculture. The glory of the Zentreadi race rests in your hands." Miriya explained.  
  
The three male Zentreadi swallowed the knots out of their throats and stepped into the chambers. Miriya punched in the micronization sequence on the control panel and waited. As the sequence began the lights on the chambers began to flash and smoke filled the room. A strange liquid substance surged through the tubes that led into the tops and sides of the chambers. When the lights died down and the smoke cleared the room the doors to the chambers opened and three smaller versions of Rico, Bron, and Konda stood before Azonia and Miriya.  
  
"Miriya please prepare for your mission." Azonia told her.  
  
"Yes Azonia." Miriya said as she picked up the tiny spies.  
  
******  
  
The six escapees found themselves in the perfect place aboard Azonia's ship. The conveyer belt took them into a hanger were there were many battle suits and escape pods just waiting to be used. Climbing into one of the escape pods the five pilots waited for Lisa to give her orders.  
  
"Corporal Dixon, Corporal Sterling you two work the foot controls down there. Lt. Hunter you and Corporal Shields will work the main flight controls. Lt. Tuskino you navigate and I'll work the radio."  
  
"Man these controls are huge!" Ben commented.  
  
"I wouldn't want to meet up with the pilot of this thing." Max added.  
  
"This mission was a total failure." Lisa said grimly.  
  
"Why do you say that commander?" Serena wondered.  
  
"I lost all our visual evidence." Lisa replied.  
  
"Well if you can remember everything that you saw and heard you should have no problem convincing the captain and the others the Zentreadi pose a real threat." Serena reassured her.  
  
"Thanks for the vote of confidence lieutenant." Lisa said with a smile.  
  
Lisa watched the doors to the hanger waiting for them to open. The doors began to open and Lisa could see the SDF1 in the distance. The time had come to put the final phase of their escape into motion.  
  
"Okay guys here's our one and only chance to get out of here." Lisa said.  
  
Rick activated the escape pod and signaled for Darien to pull back on the throttle. In a matter of moments the escape pod left the Zentreadi warship and headed for the SDF1. Everyone couldn't wait to return home. A few minutes later unknown to the escaping humans Miriya Pariniya ace Zentreadi pilot left to wait for the perfect moment to deposit three spies on the SDF1.  
  
TBC  
  
Please R&R! 


	11. Part 11

Disclaimer: I do not now or have I ever owned the characters of Sailor Moon, Robotech. People I want to say something about Miss Lynn Minmei. I don't like her. I like the Rick/Lisa romance and Minmei just gets in the way. So if you like her don't read this, however, if you want to see a new bitchy side to Minmei please enjoy! At first she'll be nice until the Miss Macross pageant then watch out people Rick will leave her in the dust for Lisa don't worry I slowly bring Rick and Lisa together. Again I want to thank Chibi Halo who wrote 'Sailor Moon Macross' without this story wouldn't have existed. As always please R&R this so I know how it is coming across to people! Chibi Halo I would like to know what you think as well! Chibi Halo there might be a few scenes in my story but I pray you won't mind. One more thing for the beginning of the first few chapters I will use your chapter names, I will come up with my own after the last chapter you named. People who haven't read her story yet please do it is a great read! Please enjoy and now on with the story! This is the only Disclaimer I will write! I just wanted to thank Chibi Halo for being my beta reader!  
  
Authors note: When ever I am talking about Kevin, Nathan, Justin and Zack as a group I will refer to them as the four earth generals as that is what they were suppose to be in the manga before Beryl brainwashed them!  
  
Here comes Trista ready or not! Oh and Minmei lovers this is the beginning of the end of her old goody two-shoe days! But if you like Rick/Lisa relationships stick with it we're going to be headed there!  
  
Robotech Warriors Book 1 By thunderbird with Sections From Chibi Halo  
  
The escape pod carrying Lisa and the others made its way towards the SDF1. Lisa began to wonder why the SDF1 hadn't tried to make contact with the pod. She then remembered the radar dish was taken out during one of the last battles between the SDF1 and the Zentreadi. Without the dish the SDF1 would be flying blind. The long-range scanners still worked but they were good for detecting life signs and planets not space ships and Veritechs. Lisa decided it was high time she contacted the SDF1 to let them know they were alright.  
  
"This is Commander Lisa Hayes calling the SDF1." Lisa said into the oversized Zentreadi radio.  
  
Everyone on the bridge of the SDF1 froze when they heard Lisa's voice over the radio. They didn't know if they were hearing a ghost or not. After a couple of minutes of silence Claudia responded to Lisa's incoming message.  
  
"This is the SDF1 it sure is good to hear your voice again commander." Claudia said.  
  
"It's good to hear yours too Claudia. Everyone here is well and accounted for. We could however use some assistance returning to the ship." Lisa told her friend.  
  
"I'll have Roy and Corporal Kino give you guys a tow home." Claudia informed them.  
  
"Thank you Claudia."  
  
Six minutes later two Veritech fighters made their way towards the floating escape pod. The small group was happy to see the familiar sight of Roy Fokker in his Skull One fighter. Alongside the head of the Skull Squad was Lita in her own green trimmed Veritech.  
  
"Need a tow commander?" Roy said over the radio.  
  
The two Veritechs attached a set of tow cables to the pod and began pulling it to the SDF1. Twenty minutes later Rick, Lisa, Serena, Darien, Max, and Ben were home.  
  
******  
  
The small crowd gathered in the infirmary to hear the harrowing tale of how Lisa, Serena, Darien, and the three members of the Vermilion Squad escaped the Zentreadi. The captain had insisted Amy and Zack check everyone out for any signs of injury. And after hearing Serena had returned every single one of her friends including Luna and Artemis had gone down to the infirmary to welcome their princess and her prince home.  
  
"If it wasn't for Max here we would still be in that Zentreadi holding cell." Serena told them.  
  
"Yeah but how was Max able to get passed the Zentreadi?" Lita wondered.  
  
"You never did tell us how you got that uniform you had on your fighter." Rick added.  
  
"Yeah this I got to hear Max!" Nathan said.  
  
"Well after finding a place to hide I waited things out for a while." Max began.  
  
"You mean the toilet stall?" Ben said getting a blush out of Max.  
  
"He hid in a toilet stall!?" Justin asked stifling a laugh.  
  
"Yeah the toilet stall. Anyway I guess the Zentreadi don't knock because when the door opened I panicked and did the first thing that came to my mind. I cold cocked the guy right between the eyes. That's when I decided to take advantage of the situation and took the guy's uniform." Max said.  
  
"Well anyway good job Max!" Kevin told him.  
  
"Yeah Max Kevin's right you did a good job back there!" Rick told him.  
  
"Gee thanks guys!" Max said smiling at the gratitude the others were showing him.  
  
Amy was in the middle of giving Rick the once over and was curious as to how he obtained the number of bruises, cuts, and scrapes he had on his body.  
  
"Lt. Hunter if you don't mind my asking but how did you get so many minor bruises and cuts on your body? Most of them seem to be on your arms, chest, stomach, and upper thighs." Amy wondered.  
  
"Well it was a matter of life and death so we had to act fast. One of the Zentreadi soldiers caught sight of us and began chasing after the commander and me. When we reached this weird looking room the commander found this cord and used it to trip the guy, which knocked his gun loose. I picked up the gun and when he began to get up I fired it. That thing had a lot of kickback to it and knocked me over." Rick told the group in the infirmary.  
  
"Well if I were you I'd take it easy and not over do things for a while." Amy instructed.  
  
"She's right Lt. Hunter you'll be sore for awhile so as of today and Amy's orders I hope you take light duty for a few day's!" Zack added.  
  
"I can only try, however, I promise not to much stressful stuff for a few days!" Rick told them.  
  
"Say commander what happened to you guys while I was in the stall?" Max asked Lisa.  
  
Lisa didn't really want to mention she and Rick had kissed in front of the Zentreadi until she gave her official report and sorted out some feelings she was having. But Serena had no trouble telling the entire story to everyone in the room.  
  
"Well the Zentreadi were all interested in some goofy stuff they call protoculture. They thought we knew where they could get their hands on some. But that's not the best part. It seems they have no idea what emotions are because when Rick and Ben tried to explain how love is a major factor in human births the Zentreadi insisted they demonstrate kissing." Serena said.  
  
"They didn't actually go through with it did they?" Mina asked Serena.  
  
"No they didn't because the commander volunteered to kiss someone for them. Knowing Darien was taken and not seeing anything convincing with Ben Commander Hayes ordered Rick to kiss her. Let me tell you those Zentreadi backed away like frightened babies. It appeared to me they had never seen two people kiss before." She replied.  
  
"Wow looks like Minmei has some competition huh Lt. Hunter?" Justin asked.  
  
"Man so what was it like Guys?" Nathan asked.  
  
"Okay you two I'm sure the Commander and Lieutenant don't want to explain their love life whether or not it exist!" Kevin told the two men.  
  
Rick and Lisa began to turn red and then gave Serena a look like she was a dead woman. Serena quickly hid behind Darien afraid they would do something to her.  
  
"What do you suppose protoculture is?" Luna asked the former captives.  
  
"The way the Zentreadi were going on about it I'd have to say it's a key part of their makeup. The strange chambers Lt. Hunter and I saw lead me to believe it's essential to creating a new generation of Zentreadi and it allows them to be the size they are. I'd say at one point before protoculture they were the same size as we are." Lisa told her.  
  
"That is very interesting! Write down what you just said to all of us commander and you'll have no trouble convincing the captain the Zentreadi pose a real threat." Artemis told her.  
  
******  
  
Part 11: Lisa's Report  
  
******  
  
Minmei couldn't wait to see Rick. The news of his return thrilled the young beauty queen. There were so many things Minmei wanted to say to Rick. The most import was the apology she had been rehearsing since the night in the café when she had snapped at Rick for a comment he had said to her. Minmei knew he didn't mean what he had said and she let it get to her. And when Roy had told her they thought Rick was dead Minmei felt pretty low thinking the last thing she had said to him were mean hurtful words. She wished more than anything to be able to get a chance to take it all back. Now she was given a second chance to set things straight.  
  
Minmei waited for Rick in their favorite place in the park overlooking the city. As Rick headed her way Minmei made a mad dash for the young lieutenant. Rick saw Minmei running towards him and got a look of dread on his face. Rick knew this embrace was going to really hurt.  
  
Minmei clamped her arms around Rick as tight as she could. There was no way she was going to let him out of her sight again. Rick began struggling in Minmei's arms. The young woman looked up at the Veritech pilot and saw a look of pure pain on his face.  
  
"Rick what's wrong?" Minmei asked him.  
  
"Oh nothing. It's just that every muscle in my upper body is extremely sore and tender right now. I don't mind the hug but could you please be a bit more gentle." Rick explained.  
  
"Oh sorry Rick." Minmei said loosening her grip.  
  
"Don't be. You didn't know." Rick said with a smile.  
  
Minmei became silent and stared out at the city. Rick looked over at the young girl and wondered what was wrong. Placing a hand on her shoulder Rick tried to find out what was bothering her.  
  
"Minmei is something wrong?" Rick asked her.  
  
"Rick I feel like a total heel for the way I've been acting lately. I've let this whole beauty pageant thing go to my head. I'm sorry for all the things I said to you. I guess I was just angry! " Minmei replied.  
  
"Look we both said some stupid things to each other but the important thing is we don't let it get to us" Rick told her.  
  
******  
  
The bridge of the SDF1 was a different place with Lisa back. The crew was able to work as a team once more instead of fighting and arguing with each other. And lately most of the fighting and arguing was coming from Rei and Mina. Even though Lisa wasn't physically on the bridge her mere presence on the SDF1 had a profound effect on the bridge crew. Knowing she was safely back on the SDF1 put everyone at ease and allowed them to focus on the task at hand.  
  
Lisa was preparing for the one of the most difficult tasks in her life reporting her findings to the senior officers on board the SDF1. Lisa remembered what Artemis had told her. She found it a bit strange she was listening to the advice of a talking cat. But if Serena's friends could trust his advice then she knew she could as well. Besides the things Lisa had seen and heard on board Breetai's warship had opened her eyes to new possibilities. One of which was reincarnated princesses and talking cats.  
  
Lisa had put the finishing touches on the final draft of her report and looked it over one last time. Taking into account the things the others had seen and done before and after Max had broken them out of the holding cell Lisa had to make several rewrites to the report. She knew she couldn't tell the senior officers about Serena being the princess of the moon or use the exact wording Max had use to describe what happened in the toilet stall. Satisfied with the report Lisa printed several copies for the senior staff.  
  
******  
  
"Azonia, Miriya is in place and awaiting for the next phase to begin." one of Azonia's crew said.  
  
"Good we can kill two birds with one stone. Have the Quadronos attack the SDF1." She replied.  
  
The elite squad in the Zentreadi military knew this attack was a diversional tactic to allow Miriya to be able to deposit the three male spies on board the Micronian ship. The all-female squad was looking forward to the opportunity to show off their skills. The Quadronos were considered the best of any squad in the Zentreadi military and they proved it time and time again.  
  
Miriya watched as the members in her squad made their way towards the large Micronian ship. It was only a matter of time before she would be able to deposit the three micronized Zentreadi spies onto the Micronian ship to gather information.  
  
******  
  
The radar was barely working and the long-range scanners were not giving an accurate reading but Rei knew something was wrong the moment her internal alarms went off. Someone or something was about to attack the SDF1. Rei could feel several signs of evil heading towards the SDF1.  
  
"Captain something is heading towards the SDF1." Rei informed him.  
  
"How many?" Captain Gloval asked her.  
  
"That's one thing I don't know. With the radar out all I do know is someone or something is heading our way. I can sense it." Rei replied.  
  
"Claudia assemble the Veritechs." The captain said.  
  
"Aye sir." Claudia replied, "All Veritech squads report for battle. Repeat all Veritech squads report for battle." Claudia sent this message to every part of the SDF1 including Macross City.  
  
******  
  
The alarms were going off all over the SDF1. Every single pilot out on the streets of Macross City were scrambling to get to their Veritechs and fast. Rick knew he had to get back to the Prometheus as fast as he could. The thought of going back into battle had Rick pumped.  
  
"Sorry Minmei but I have to go." Rick said.  
  
"That's okay Rick. I understand." Minmei replied.  
  
Rick ran as fast as he could towards the military section of the SDF1. As he ran through the streets of Macross Rick caught up with Kevin, Nathan, Justin, Max and Ben. The six members of the Vermilion squad were just about to enter the military section of the ship when Roy put his jeep between them and the entrance.  
  
"Didn't you hear the captain is giving all of you a little R and R. So I guess we won't be needing you on this one." Roy told them.  
  
"But Roy we need to get back up there." Rick protested.  
  
"Listen Rick if you want me to throw you into the brig to keep you from going I will." Roy said.  
  
"Oh alright we'll stay. Though I don't see why." Rick mumbled.  
  
Roy pulled off in the jeep and headed off to battle the Zentreadi leaving a disappointed Rick, Kevin, Justin and Nathan and a relieved Max and Ben behind.  
  
"Why are you two so happy?" Rick asked his squad.  
  
"We get a few days to sit around and do nothing." Ben replied.  
  
"Besides we've earned it." Max added.  
  
"But we want to fight!" Nathan complained.  
  
"Yeah why do we have to go on R&R?" Justin asked.  
  
"I guess they feel in order to be fair they gave us all some time off!" Kevin said.  
  
******  
  
Outside the SDF1 the distraction was working like a charm. With the battle raging on no one saw the lone battle suit slip past the battle scene and deposit a small pod containing the three spies.  
  
"This is Miriya reporting in. I have succeeded in placing the spies on board the Micronian ship. I am now returning to the ship." Miriya reported.  
  
"Well done Miriya. Have your squad return as well." Azonia replied.  
  
"Yes Azonia." Miriya said.  
  
Miriya then sent Azonia's order to return to the other members in her squad.  
  
"This is Miriya the drop off of the spies was successful. Our orders are now to return to the ship."  
  
Once Miriya's message was sent the members of the Quadronos left the battle. It was now up to the spies to do their job and gather the necessary information needed.  
  
******  
  
The Zentreadi had successfully placed three spies on board the SDF1. As the pod unlocked Rico, Bron, and Konda woke and emerged. Taking in their surroundings the three male Zentreadi noticed something was terribly wrong.  
  
"Oh boy." Konda said nervously after looking at Bron.  
  
"What's up Konda?" Bron asked his fellow Zentreadi.  
  
"We're naked! How could they do this to us?" Konda yelled.  
  
"Here put these around your waists so we can go find some uniforms to wear." Rico instructed.  
  
After much fumbling around the three Zentreadi in their makeshift loincloths went to find something to wear while on board the SDF1.  
  
Stepping into another part of the ship the three spies noticed three women in RDF uniforms. One woman had long blond hair, the next one had black hair, and the last one had aqua green hair. The spies were eager to see where the women went and what they were talking about.  
  
"I'll be glad to get out of this thing." The blonde said.  
  
"I know, these shoes are killing me." The brunette commented.  
  
"I'll just be glad to get home and relax." The woman with aqua hair added.  
  
"If you call taking care of Hotaru relaxing." The brunette remarked.  
  
Rico, Bron, and Konda wondered what the strange women were talking about. They also wondered why the women needed to get out of the uniforms they had on. As they continued to follow the Micronian women the three spies saw them enter a strange room marked lockers. Six minutes later the three Micronian women emerged from the room wearing different clothes.  
  
"Hmm Micronians must wear different uniforms for different tasks. And that must be the room where they get them." Rico deduced.  
  
"Well if that's were we can get some new uniforms then let's go in." Konda said.  
  
The three Zentreadi made their way into the locker room not realizing it was for females only. Luckily and unbeknownst to them they were the only ones in the room. Looking around the locker room the Zentreadi spies noticed three open lockers. One was marked Mina Aino, the middle one was marked Rei Hino, and the last one was marked Michelle Kaiou. Each taking a locker the three spies put on the clothes that were left in the lockers. Rico found an orange shirt blue pants and a blue vest. Konda put on a red top and black pants. Bron ended up wearing an aqua green skirt and a white blouse. Thinking they had on the proper uniforms the three Zentreadi spies made their way towards Macross City.  
  
The sight of the city both amazed and confused the three Zentreadi. The spies had never seen such a sight before in their lives and they had no idea what purpose the city was to the Micronian military. As Rico, Konda, and Bron stood amongst the citizens of Macross they heard some odd noises coming from the people of the city. Within minutes a small crowd was staring and pointing at one of the Zentreadi.  
  
"I think you have on the wrong uniform Bron." Konda whispered.  
  
"There's a uniform changing room over there." Rico said as he pointed to the ladies public washroom where a woman was going.  
  
Bron quickly made his way over to the ladies washroom and entered. Three minutes later Bron emerged from the washroom with a large red slap mark on his face. A minute later an angry woman stormed out of the washroom.  
  
"I didn't know I wasn't supposed to be in there," a confused Bron said to his fellow spies.  
  
******  
  
The senior staff of the SDF1 had asked to see Commander Lisa Hayes to discuss the events that took place on board the Zentreadi ship. Most of the staff wanted to hear what Commander Hayes had to report on the Zentreadi.  
  
They were having a hard time believing that at one point she had visual evidence of everything she had written in her report.  
  
Standing before Captain Gloval and the others Lisa prepared to give her report of what had taken place on the Zentreadi ship.  
  
"You may begin when you are ready commander." Captain Gloval told her.  
  
"Thank you captain." Lisa began, "Members of the senior staff I'd like to present to you my findings on the Zentreadi. To begin with the Zentreadi are a race of beings averaging around forty to fifty feet in height. This is evident in the dimensions of their ships. The Zentreadi military centers on a fleet of ships averaging between four and five million in number. It is my belief the Zentreadi society is militaristic in nature keeping males and females separate.  
  
The core of the Zentreadi society is something they call protoculture. Protoculture seems to dominate their entire makeup. I have found that the Zentreadi are created from this substance and were at one point the same size as us. The Zentreadi possess large chambers that not only allow them to manipulate their size but also creates a new generation of Zentreadi as well.  
  
The Zentreadi called Dolza seemed quite interested in knowing whether or not we humans possessed any knowledge of protoculture. This may be the reason why the Zentreadi are interested in capturing the SDF1. When the Zentreadi learned that humans are created by the love of a man and a woman and not protoculture they insisted on knowing what love was. After a brief explanation of love the Zentreadi demanded they be shown kissing. Dolza demanded Lt. Hunter and Corporal Dixon demonstrate kissing since they had brought up the concept. Not wanting to cause further problems I volunteered to demonstrate kissing for them. The Zentreadi were horrified by the kiss they had seen. It appeared to us that years of separation from females had caused the Zentreadi society to become emotionless.  
  
In conclusion it is my belief that the Zentreadi not only pose a threat to the SDF1 but to Earth as well. I believe they will stop at nothing to either capture or destroy the SDF1. We must do everything within our abilities to stop the Zentreadi from gaining whatever lies inside this ship. Thank you." Lisa finished.  
  
When Lisa had finished giving her report the senior officers of the SDF1 discussed what she had told them. Captain Gloval seemed to be defending some of the things Lisa had told them but he was also agreeing with them about other items Lisa had brought up. One member of the senior staff Colonel Mulistad appeared as though he didn't believe a single word Lisa had said.  
  
"Commander Hayes the Zentreadi can not be the way you claim them to be. You have no concrete evidence." Colonel Mulistad argued.  
  
"I had evidence at one point sir but that was destroyed during our escape." Lisa replied.  
  
After the meeting with the senior staff had concluded the captain stopped to talk to Lisa.  
  
"Lisa while it is hard to believe what you said about protoculture I do believe you when you said the Zentreadi pose a threat to the SDF1 and the Earth." Captain Gloval said.  
  
"Thank you captain. I needed to hear that someone believes in something I've said." Lisa replied.  
  
******  
  
Azonia was feeling pretty good for a Zentreadi. A sense of great satisfaction washed over the Zentreadi fleet commander. The Quadronos did an excellent job distracting the Micronians long enough for Miriya to deposit Dolza's spies on board the SDF1. And with any luck the spies would do their job and gather the necessary information Lord Dolza wanted. At the moment Azonia wasn't concerned with such things, she had bigger fish to fry.  
  
Khyron had been, from what she was told, a pain in Breetai's side. The Zentreadi squad commander had disobeyed orders and messed up several missions. Even for the brief moment he was in charge of the mission Khyron still managed to get nowhere. Azonia was going to have it out with him.  
  
"Get me Khyron's ship." Azonia said to one of her crew.  
  
"Yes Azonia." The woman replied.  
  
Khyron's smarmy face appeared on the screen mocking the authority figure.  
  
The smile he gave Azonia only served to fuel her anger. Azonia decided to let Khyron make the first move so she could get a better sense of who she had command over.  
  
"Azonia to what do I owe this pleasure?" Khyron asked her smugly.  
  
"Dolza has sent me to take over this mission." Azonia told him.  
  
Azonia could tell Khyron wasn't too happy about that. She could also tell he was thrilled to hear he wouldn't have to deal with Breetai any longer.  
  
"Well, well it looks like Breetai got what was coming to him." Khyron remarked.  
  
"Don't think I'll go easy on you. One botched mission and you'll see the full extent of my anger."  
  
"My dear Azonia you can trust me." Khyron said nonchalantly.  
  
******  
  
Rico and Konda knew the first thing they had to do was find male uniforms. After much confusion and embarrassment with the washroom incident the two spies dragged their unwilling counterpart into a place that had uniforms for males and females in the window.  
  
With the proper uniforms on the spies made their way back into the city. Their mission was simple. Locate any and all Micronian weapons and find out how the Zentreadi could use them to their advantage. It seemed like a simple mission at first but then they saw the city. Males and females were together everywhere. You had to be careful about which rooms you went into or else the females would unleash their furry upon the male face.  
  
TBC  
  
Please R&R! 


	12. Part 12a

Disclaimer: I do not now or have I ever owned the characters of Sailor Moon, Robotech. People I want to say something about Miss Lynn Minmei. I don't like her. I like the Rick/Lisa romance and Minmei just gets in the way. So if you like her don't read this, however, if you want to see a new bitchy side to Minmei please enjoy! At first she'll be nice until the Miss Macross pageant then watch out people Rick will leave her in the dust for Lisa don't worry I slowly bring Rick and Lisa together. Again I want to thank Chibi Halo who wrote 'Sailor Moon Macross' without this story wouldn't have existed. As always please R&R this so I know how it is coming across to people! Chibi Halo I would like to know what you think as well! Chibi Halo there might be a few scenes in my story but I pray you won't mind. One more thing for the beginning of the first few chapters I will use your chapter names, I will come up with my own after the last chapter you named. People who haven't read her story yet please do it is a great read! Please enjoy and now on with the story! This is the only Disclaimer I will write! I just wanted to thank Chibi Halo for being my beta reader!  
  
Authors note: When ever I am talking about Kevin, Nathan, Justin and Zack as a group I will refer to them as the four earth generals as that is what they were suppose to be in the manga before Beryl brainwashed them!  
  
Here comes Trista ready or not! Oh and Minmei lovers this is the beginning of the end of her old goody two-shoe days! But if you like Rick/Lisa relationships stick with it we're going to be headed there!  
  
Robotech Warriors Book 1 By thunderbird with Sections From Chibi Halo  
  
Lisa was back in her familiar place on the bridge. After the ordeal with the Zentreadi it felt good to be back at work once again. The controls on her console felt like silk beneath Lisa's fingers as she logged on for the day. Lisa had arrived at the bridge before any of the other members of the bridge crew to catch up on what she had missed during her absence. The logs from the past month and a half would be tedious to go over but it had to be done if she was to resume her duties as though nothing had happened. In the time she, Serena, Darien, and the three members of the Vermilion squad were gone there had been two attacks on the SDF1 one a few days after they were captured on the Zentreadi ship and the other on the exact day they had left the other Zentreadi ship.  
  
As Lisa was going over the records of the first battle the other members of the bridge crew came in for their shift. As usual Claudia Grant was smiling and had a cheerful look upon her face. Sometime within the past twenty-four hours she and Lt. Commander Roy Fokker had spent some time together. Some people relied on coffee Claudia relied on kisses from Roy. Usually Michelle Kaiou was all business ready to take on the tasks ahead of her. But on this particular day Michelle's mind was someplace else and it showed. The last to come in was Mina and Rei. Mina was holding a fairly good sized cup of coffee, which told anyone who saw her that the young corporal had gotten little sleep and was woken too early for her tastes. And judging by the look on Rei's face she was the one who had to wake her, Rei was not a happy camper on this particular morning.  
  
"So Claudia I take it you and Roy saw each other last night?" Lisa asked her friend without looking up from her console.  
  
It was a given fact that Claudia and Roy would spend some time together each day. Doing what was always the big question the next day.  
  
"We went into town last night and spent some time in the park. But exactly what we did is for me to know and you to find out." Claudia said with a playful grin on her face.  
  
Mina couldn't help but laugh at the playful banter between two very close friends. It was obvious Lisa didn't mind it when Claudia played with her head but took it quite personally when anyone else tried to do the same thing. Looking to her right with sleep filled eyes Mina noticed an overly quiet Michelle.  
  
"Why so quiet Michelle?" Mina asked her friend.  
  
"Amara and I had a long discussion last night about Hotaru's education. Since we haven't been on Earth in over a year we feel she needs to rejoin a normal educational environment. At least that's what we decided upon after much discussion. I'm just worried how the others will treat her." Michelle said.  
  
Mina understood Michelle's concern for her foster daughter. For a good portion of her young life Hotaru had been teased by the other kids in her class. When Amara and Michelle took Hotaru in when she mysteriously aged back to her true age during the Chaos incident they had decided on getting her a private tutor. They had kept up with their decision to have a tutor for Hotaru after they had moved to Macross City. Now after a year on the SDF1 Amara felt it was time for Hotaru to rejoin a traditional class.  
  
The quiet friendly chitchat among the bridge crew was brought to an end when Captain Henry Gloval walked in to take his post on the bridge. Like Mina the captain had a steaming cup of coffee in his left hand. In his right hand the captain had a clipboard with the day's duties clipped to it. Now that Lisa and the others were back and sufficient time had been given for the higher ups at RDF command to calm down Henry Gloval thought it was high time the SDF1 return home.  
  
"Good morning ladies." The captain began, "After the safe return of our missing crew members and careful consideration I have decided it is time for the SDF1 to return home. Lisa, Claudia lay in a course for Earth and home."  
  
******  
  
Part 12A: Homecoming Part 1: Gloval's Report  
  
******  
  
There was one unwritten rule on board the SDF1 anything was fair game for the rumor mill. And as one of the proprietors of the most successful rumor mill on the SDF1 Corporal Mina Aino had the juiciest piece of gossip to ever come to the SDF1. Mina was determined to get this bit of news spread throughout the SDF1 before it became official. And lunchtime was the best place to start. All she had to do was give the news to the biggest mouth in the RDF Lt. Serena Tuskino.  
  
Mina walked into the mess hall tray in hand looking for Serena, Lita, and Darien she knew the trio would be having lunch together and wouldn't mind the extra company. Spotting her three best friends Mina walked over to their table and sat down with them. Serena was stuffing her face as usual while playing footsie with Darien and looking over her schedule for the upcoming week. Lita was looking over each portion of food before putting it in her mouth. The look on her face as she chewed each bite told Mina the culinary devotee was less than thrilled with the day's choice for lunch. Darien on the other hand just sat and ate his lunch never letting anyone know about the foot game taking place under the table.  
  
"I could have done better than this slop." Lita said before eating her next bite.  
  
"Well you must seem to like it enough to be eating it." Serena observed without taking her eyes off her papers.  
  
Mina knew Lita would find some type of come back for Serena's remark and decided now was as good a time as any to tell her information.  
  
"Okay guys you didn't hear this from me but the captain has ordered Lisa and Claudia to set a course for home. He doesn't care what the RDF big wigs will do to him he wants to get us home." She told everyone at the table.  
  
The news Mina had just given to her friends was beginning to sink in. Lita slowly put down her fork and stopped eating and complaining. Darien ended his half of the heated under the table foot game and just looked at Mina in disbelief. Serena looked up from her schedule, swallowed her food, took her foot away from Darien's leg, and blinked all at the same time. In the back of her mind Mina began her countdown. Three, two, one she thought.  
  
"We're going home? We're going home. We're going home!" Serena yelled.  
  
Bingo my partner now has the news and will now make certain everyone on board knows it before dinner, Mina thought.  
  
"You pulling our leg Mina?" Lita asked her.  
  
"Now would I do that?" Mina replied with a sly grin.  
  
"No I'm not going to dignify that with a response." Lita said.  
  
Darien knew as well as anyone else on board the SDF1 that Mina had a tendency to stretch the truth when it came to gossip. He knew the more reliable sources within the Scouts were either Rei or Michelle. He would simply ask one of them if what Mina had told them was true.  
  
"You know Lita you could always ask Rei if what Mina says is true." Darien said.  
  
Mina shot her prince and future king a look that told him he had made a big mistake by opening his mouth to talk. Darien got nervous and began scratching the back of his head.  
  
"Look Mina it's not that we don't believe you it's just that you tend to stretch the truth a bit." He tried to explain to her.  
  
Mina wasn't about to pick a fight with Darien she had done what she had set out to do. Now it was Serena's job to spread the good news like wildfire.  
  
"Wait till the others hear about this at the meeting this afternoon." Serena said with a big grin.  
  
******  
  
Home they were going home. For over two weeks the SDF1 had sat four days away from the planet Earth and now it was slowly making its way back home. The citizens of Macross City didn't care where the SDF1 landed all they cared about was going back to the Earth. The news of their return that had been floating around the ship was confirmed in an official written statement made by Captain Gloval to the MBS. Once the rumor started by Mina was confirmed everyone on board the SDF1 couldn't wait to return home to the Earth.  
  
For three days the SDF1 had been traveling through space. The large battle fortress had passed the moon with no incident and was now a day away from the Earth. On the bridge of the SDF1 the crew marveled at the sight before them on the screen. The perfect blue and green sphere floated among the stars like a beacon calling a lost traveler home from a long journey.  
  
"This is the Lunar Squad reporting in one final time. Everything is peaceful out here commander. In fact, what I see before me is a sight for sore eyes." Serena reported to Lisa over the comm. link.  
  
"I know lieutenant it almost seems like it isn't real." Lisa said, "Make one final pass then bring your squad in."  
  
"Aye sir." Serena replied.  
  
Looking out at the Earth Lisa began thinking about what had taken place over the past two years. She had to admit the people of Macross City were true survivors. They had managed to take a barren hold and turn it into a thriving working city. For two years the SDF1 had become their home and now things were about to change. The SDF1 would be a different place once the citizens of Macross City had left.  
  
******  
  
Khyron hated to be told what to do first Breetai and now Azonia. The new commander of the Sol mission had told the members of the fleet to follow the Micronian ship but not to engage it in battle. Like Breetai Azonia wanted to capture the battle fortress but she didn't want to harm the ship in any way. Dolza wanted it in one piece. On that point he was very clear. And now Khyron and his men were playing a game of follow the leader with the ship.  
  
"Azonia does not seem to realize the true importance of this war." Khyron stated as though it were fact, "She doesn't see the true threat the Micronian ship poses to Zentreadi Empire. That is why we must destroy their precious ship."  
  
"But sir what about Lady Azonia's orders?" one of his subordinates questioned.  
  
Khyron got one of his smarmy smiles upon his face and turned to face his subordinate.  
  
"I could care less about Azonia and her orders. We are going to correct a grievous error on her part. Allowing the Micronians to be able to return to their world." Khyron said with a haughty tone.  
  
The subordinate knew where the conversation was headed. He knew Khyron was going to order an attack on the Micronian ship with intent to destroy.  
  
"Sir am I to assume you will be personally leading a full scale assault on the Micronians before they reach their home world?" he asked Khyron.  
  
"You assume correctly. Have the men prepare for battle." Khyron ordered.  
  
******  
  
The lunar squad had returned to the SDF1 from patrol and prepared for an afternoon off. On the bridge of the SDF1 the bridge crew marveled at the sight before them. For two years the crew of the SDF1 thought they would never see the Earth again. For some it felt good to be able to see their home once more. For Rei, Mina, and Michelle it felt as though they had a future once again.  
  
"You know it actually feels like everything will come out alright in the end now that we can see the Earth again." Mina commented.  
  
Rei looked over at her best friend and smiled. She had to admit it did feel as though she knew everything would be alright and the crew of the SDF1 would triumph over the Zentreadi.  
  
"Yeah now that I can see home again I know we have a future." Rei said.  
  
Looking at the two chatting friends Commander Hayes smiled because like them she too somehow knew everything would turn out alright in the end now that they would be back on Earth soon. But the happy thoughts were soon turned to dust when she saw the color drain out of Corporal Hino's face. The look of sheer terror on the face of the radar operator told the commander she had another one of the many premonitions that preceded a Zentreadi attack on the SDF1.  
  
"Captain I sense an evil presence." Rei began, "Scanners confirm around thirty Zentreadi pods heading straight for the SDF1."  
  
Gloval didn't waist any time formulating a defense plan. He knew exactly what was needed in a situation like this one the SDF1 was going to have to transform once again.  
  
"Go to red alert. Lisa, call out all Veritech squads. Claudia, sound the alert in the city and prepare for transformation. Mina, inform engineering to begin transformation procedures." Gloval instructed.  
  
"Aye sir." The three replied in unison.  
  
Lisa's fingers raced over the console as she sent the SDF1 into red alert. Throughout the military section of the ship the call to battle was sounded.  
  
"Red alert all Veritech pilots report for duty. Repeat all Veritech pilots report for duty." Lisa said over the shipwide communication system.  
  
As Lisa was sounding the red alert Claudia punched in the commands that sounded the emergency sirens in Macross City. Claudia didn't need to make an announcement to the citizens of Macross for the distinctive sound of the sirens would tell them exactly what they needed to know. The ship was going to transform and all civilians needed to find their nearest shelter fast.  
  
******  
  
Azonia was furious with Khyron. The Zentreadi squad commander had deliberately disobeyed her orders not to attack the Micronian ship. Something had to be done about the arrogant Zentreadi battlepod pilot before he ruined everything she had worked so hard for. It was at that moment Azonia knew how Breetai must have felt every time Khyron didn't follow his orders.  
  
"Miriya have the crew prepare to intercept Khyron and his little band of idiots immediately." Azonia ordered the female squad leader.  
  
"Yes Azonia I'll have the crew begin pursuit measures right away." Miriya replied with a salute.  
  
******  
  
Not everyone onboard the SDF1 knew what the emergency siren meant. Rico, Bron, and Konda found themselves standing in the middle of the street as everything around them seemed to go dead. Every single stoplight in the city turned red and people just up and left their cars. The people inside the buildings came out in droves and began heading in the same direction. Mothers, fathers, grandparents, and children all seemed to know what they needed to do. Three very confused spies couldn't make heads or tails of the scene unfolding itself in front of them.  
  
"What's happening?" Konda asked with much confusion on his face.  
  
Rico looked at the largest of the three spies with the same amount of confusion came up with the first answer that came into his mind. And to the Zentreadi spy it dealt with the military.  
  
"This must be how they count all their soldiers. The soldiers who live in this special housing must know they need to be counted so they go to a special place when they hear the siren." Rico explained.  
  
Upon hearing his colleague's explanation Bron decided they would not follow the Micronians to the counting area so the Micronian military would not find them out.  
  
"Look our job is not to get caught. If we follow them they will surely discover we're spies and do horrible things to us. We're staying here." he told his fellow spies.  
  
With that decision made the three Zentreadi spies were about to learn how wrong they were.  
  
******  
  
"All civilians are safely inside the designated shelters." Claudia reported to the captain.  
  
With the people of Macross safely inside the shelters the SDF1 could begin the process that would transform it from a battle fortress to a massive battleoid. Captain Gloval gave Claudia the go ahead to begin the transformation process.  
  
"Claudia begin transformation procedures." Gloval instructed.  
  
"Aye sir beginning transformation procedures now." Claudia responded.  
  
Entering in a few commands on her console a different type of siren sounded within the military quarters of the ship. The siren told all military personnel to report to their designated places during a shipwide transformation.  
  
******  
  
Something was happening to the SDF1 the Zentreadi were certain of that. The street where they were standing was now opening down the center and rearranging itself. The buildings inside the SDF1 were changing their position without any damage. Then it happened. The moment the street and the buildings were finished being rearranged the interior hold of the SDF1 lost all gravity except inside the shelters. The three Zentreadi spies began floating around the ship not knowing what was going on. Their original theory had just been proven wrong.  
  
"Maybe they count the people in the city for a different reason." Rico surmised feeling a bit stupid for making the wrong conclusion about the sirens.  
  
"Yeah just maybe they don't want people to get caught outside when the street opens up and the gravity turns off." Konda said looking right at Bron.  
  
"Okay so maybe we don't know everything about the Micronians just yet. At least we know what to do the next time that siren goes off." Bron replied looking quite pathetic.  
  
******  
  
Azonia stared at the now transformed Micronian ship. The ship went from looking like her battle cruiser to resembling one of the pods in Miriya's squad. The sight of the transformation was something the Zentreadi commander would never forget. There was no way she was going to let Khyron destroy the Micronian ship now that she knew it possessed that kind of technology. The protoculture and the other secrets of the Micronian ship would belong to the Zentreadi and she would take full credit for retrieving them. In the eyes of Dolza Azonia would become a hero.  
  
"Get between that ship and Khyron's little band of misfits right away." Azonia ordered.  
  
"Right away Lady Azonia." One of the bridge crew replied.  
  
Azonia's ship made its way to an open area between Khyron's squad and the Micronian ship. Standing firm ground Azonia and her crew faced off against every cannon Khyron had trained on the Micronian ship. Azonia turned to her communications officer and ordered her to open a channel to Khyron's main ship.  
  
"Get me through to that rat Khyron now!" Azonia ordered her.  
  
"Yes ma'am." The officer replied.  
  
******  
  
Khyron was about to give the order to shoot down the Micronian ship when Azonia's command vessel appeared between him and the target. Letting out a scream of frustration Khyron took his anger towards Azonia out on the side of the battlepod's control console.  
  
"How could she do this to me?" Khyron yelled out.  
  
It was at that moment Azonia's voice could be heard over the comm. system.  
  
"Khyron you insolent fool! How dare you try and destroy the Micronian ship! Disengage at once or I will have you thrown off this mission so fast your head will spin! Do I make myself clear!" she yelled.  
  
"Crystal." Khyron replied with a smirk.  
  
******  
  
Captain Henry J. Gloval couldn't believe what he was seeing. One of the Zentreadi war ships had come between the SDF1 and their attackers proving to the captain just how valuable the SDF1 was to the enemy. There had to be something on the battle fortress that the Zentreadi wanted so badly they would do whatever it took to keep the SDF1 in one piece. Now we know they will not deliberately try and destroy the SDF1, he thought to himself.  
  
"Claudia give me a report on all transformation procedures." Gloval requested.  
  
Claudia pulled up the window showing the progress of the transformation on her console and saw that the initial transformation process had been completed, which mean the gravity inside the city would soon come back on line.  
  
"Initial transformation complete captain. Gravity generators within Macross City limits will come back on line in three two one. Gravity has been restored full transformation complete." She reported.  
  
Unbeknownst to the crew of the SDF1 and the citizens of Macross City three floating micronized Zentreadi spies learned the true meaning of pain when they crash landed on the street below the moment the gravity returned to Macross.  
  
"Claudia, Lisa prepare the SDF1 for reentry to the Earth." The captain instructed them.  
  
"Aye, aye sir." they responded.  
  
******  
  
If one were to look at a small chain of islands between Japan and Hawaii in the south pacific one would notice something was missing. The southernmost island in the chain was gone. Two years ago no one on Earth knew what happened when the island known as Macross mysteriously vanished along with two aircraft carriers and the crowning glory in the RDF the SDF1. Everyone on Earth assumed that the people of Macross and the crew of the SDF1 were dead. It was considered to be the saddest in the history of the United Earth Government. In the ten short years since its conception this was the first worldwide tragedy.  
  
Macross City was once the crown jewel of the Pacific. Now it was just another part of the SDF1 but that was all about to change. For exactly two years after its disappearance the SDF1 performed splashdown near the site of the first battle with the Zentreadi, the battle that started it all. The transformed space fortress had come home.  
  
******  
  
"Sir we have broken the surface of the water." Lisa announced.  
  
A big sigh of relief could be heard on the bridge of the SDF1. After being lost in space for two years the SDF1 and her crew had returned home. The first thing on the captain's mind was allowing the people of Macross and the crew of the SDF1 a sight they hadn't seen in two years a real blue sky with God given sunlight warming their skin. But his greatest task lay ahead of him. Captain Henry Gloval was going to have to report in to RDF command.  
  
"Lisa open all exterior bay doors leading to the Prometheus and the Dadelous and inform everyone onboard of our arrival on Earth." The captain began, "I'll be in my quarters. You have the bridge."  
  
"Aye sir." Lisa replied as the captain left the bridge.  
  
Claudia looked over at Lisa and wondered what her first command decision would be.  
  
"Well Lisa what will we do first?" Claudia asked her best friend.  
  
"You open those exterior doors while I notify everyone of our arrival." Lisa told her.  
  
"Sure thing commander." Claudia said as she began imputing the commands to open the doors.  
  
*******  
  
"People of Macross City members of the RDF citizens of the SDF1," the shipwide transmission began, "at approximately 1100 hours our home of the past two years the SDF1 entered into Earth's atmosphere and began planet fall. Thirty minutes later the SDF1 splashed down into the Pacific Ocean. The captain of the SDF1 has opened all exterior doors to the two aircraft carriers for those who wish to step outside and get some fresh air. On that good note I welcome you home."  
  
The citizens of Macross City began filing out of the shelters and made their way towards the open doors of the ship. The Zentreadi spies noticed where the people of the city were going and decided to follow them. They weren't going to be left out of the loop this time.  
  
The sunlight was a sight to behold and the fresh air felt invigorating. Husbands and wives were kissing and hugging while the children laughed and giggled as they ran around. The Zentreadi spies watched the celebration and decided to play along with the Micronians.  
  
"Yea we're home!" Rico called out as he jumped into the air.  
  
"Hooray we're home!" Bron added.  
  
"Feel that warm sun on your skin. Boy does that feel good." Konda said not even faking it.  
  
Looking around at the happy faces the Zentreadi spies were beginning to feel as though they were actually a part of Macross City and the SDF1.  
  
******  
  
Three hours after splash down Captain Henry J. Gloval of the SDF1 left the ship on a small transport plane with Commander Lisa Hayes to head for RDF command outside Anchorage, Alaska in America. The trip would be long but it would give the captain time to think over exactly what he was going to say to his superiors. The captain and Lisa had been told to report to RDF command after getting in touch with them to formally give a verbal account of what had happened to the SDF1 over the last two years. Lost in thought Gloval didn't even notice the Hawaiian Islands or the coast of California pass below them. It wasn't until the pilot announced their arrival that Henry Gloval knew they had arrived at RDF command headquarters.  
  
"Sir, we're here." the pilot announced.  
  
"What? Oh yes thank you." Gloval replied as he was brought out of his train of thought.  
  
Captain Gloval and Commander Hayes left the plane and made their way to the transport that would take them to the underground base that was the command center for the RDF.  
  
The enclosed transport car traveled down the long tunnel towards the main section of the RDF command center. Lisa looked around and marveled at the sheer size of the tunnel.  
  
"Captain what is this section we're traveling in now?" Lisa asked with the curiosity of a child.  
  
Deciding to pass the time better the captain told Lisa all about the inner workings of the Grand Cannon the Earth's best weapon for defense.  
  
"What we are traveling in Lisa happens to be the barrel for the Grand Cannon." Gloval began, "You see Lisa the Grand Cannon uses the Earth's own gravity as the main energy source for the cannon. The beam shot by the cannon can traverse the Earth's atmosphere reaching into space. Tell me Lisa have you ever been here before?"  
  
"My father used to bring me here when I was little but he never showed me the barrel." Lisa told him.  
  
The captain looked at his first officer and realized that even she did not know about the intricacies of the greatest project in the history of OTECH. The admiral has kept this from his own daughter, Gloval thought as he kept looking at Lisa.  
  
"I'm surprised he didn't bring you to this part of the base Lisa. He did have the proper clearance to do so and he still does." Gloval commented.  
  
"Are you saying my father was one of the men behind the Grand Cannon?" Lisa wanted to know.  
  
Lisa waited for Gloval to say something in reply to her question but instead he reached into his pocket and pulled out the pipe he always had with him. She knew full well something was bothering the captain when he reached for his pipe. The only time he smoked it was to ease his troubled mind.  
  
"Captain is something wrong?" Lisa asked quite concerned for the elder man.  
  
"Lisa I do believe the government leaders might be too stubborn to accept a truce with the Zentreadi." The captain replied.  
  
The remainder of the ride was spent in silence as Lisa let what the captain said sink in. If the world government didn't do something soon war would break out on Earth.  
  
******  
  
The leaders of the RDF sat at a tall circular desk in the darkened room. Behind them was a map of the world with electronic indicators showing the location of each base within the RDF. The light where Macross Island once existed was no longer lit indicating the base was no more. The generals and admirals looked very intimidating on the large videoconference screens. Taking his place at the podium with Lisa by his side Captain Gloval cleared his throat and began his report.  
  
"Good afternoon gentlemen. As you all know I am Captain Henry J. Gloval of the SDF1. For the past two years the SDF1 has been making its way back to Earth. This report that I have compiled for you highlights the events that have taken place during those two years. I shall begin on the day of our alleged disappearance from Earth.  
  
"On December 5, 2009 the crew of the SDF1 began making final preparations for our launch. The occasion was marked with a great celebration in Macross City on the island of Macross. An air show and a formal speech to be given by the mayor were to be the highlights of the day. But almost immediately after I arrived on the bridge of the SDF1 things started to go wrong.  
  
******  
  
"I feel a great evil approaching." Rei said.  
  
The captain, Lisa, and Claudia looked at each other with obvious confusion. They had no idea about Rei's precognitive skills. Mina and Michelle on the other hand looked at each other with sheer terror on their faces. They knew all too well what Rei meant when she had one of her flashes.  
  
True to Rei's ominous premonition the alarm system began to sound off in the bridge. Claudia scrambled to see what she could do to shut it off. As she tried to get things under control she found out she was locked out of her control station. Looking at the screen Claudia could see the main guns begin to go on line in preparation to fire.  
  
"Captain the main guns are preparing to fire!" Claudia called out over the sound of the alarm.  
  
"What?! That's impossible!" the captain yelled back to her.  
  
"Sir, I'm locked out of my terminal." Mina told him.  
  
"Claudia shut down the main guns now." Captain Gloval ordered.  
  
"I can't captain. Believe me I've tried and my station's not responding." Claudia replied.  
  
"What about communications Michelle?" the captain needed to know.  
  
"Nothing sir the system won't respond to anything I try to do." She told him.  
  
Why did Amy have to go into medical training, Rei thought.  
  
"Sir I can't get any response from the radar systems either." Rei reported.  
  
"Lisa what are you getting?" the captain asked her.  
  
"Nothing sir. I can't get anything on my screen and like the others my station is not responding." Lisa replied with obvious fear in her voice.  
  
Outside the SDF1 the main guns began find their target. Locking in on the target the guns powered up and prepared to fire. All at once the guns went off and an explosion could be seen in the sky over Macross City. The people gathered at the airbase began to get out of there as the government officials began scrambling for answers.  
  
On the bridge of the SDF1 Captain Henry Gloval was none too pleased with their current situation. The ship they thought they knew everything about was actually a booby trap. As the main guns went off line the ship's systems came back under control.  
  
"They have sent us to our deaths." The captain commented with a chuckle.  
  
******  
  
"We learned the SDF1 had a built in defense mechanism designed to protect it against any alien threat. This defense system was obviously built by the aliens who had originally constructed the SDF1. The explosion of the main cannons was the beginning of what we now call the Robotech War. At the time we knew very little about the aliens who were attacking us. But on that day I learned something always took place before each alien attack. Something I learned to trust and at times rely on. My radar officer comes from a strong Shinto background in Japan and has the ability to sense when an attack is about to take place. This proved time and time again to be a useful tool for us especially during that first attack.  
  
******  
  
Once again Rei got another premonition and stiffened. She quickly turned around to check the radar screen in time to see forty blips on the screen heading straight towards the SDF1.  
  
"Sir, we've got forty incoming unidentified bogeys headed this way." Rei called out.  
  
"Long range sensors indicate these things are packing a lot of fire power." Claudia reported.  
  
"Lisa call out the Veritech squads now!" the captain ordered.  
  
"Aye, aye sir." Lisa began, "Red alert all Veritech squads report for duty now this is not a drill repeat this is not a drill."  
  
******  
  
"The battle raged on for hours and we were instructed by the highest ranking official present to launch the SDF1 immediately to draw the firepower from the enemy pods away from the city. We hastily launched the SDF1 and watched the Veritech squads go up against the alien threat. In an attempt to draw the aliens away from Earth I ordered the Veritech squads to return to the SDF1 and the ship to begin a descent towards the planet. When we reached one thousand feet above the island the SDF1 was to engage its space fold engines. This proved to be our salvation and the beginning of our great journey.  
  
******  
  
One thousand feet above Macross Island a great sphere of light encircled the SDF1. As the light engulfed the battle cruiser it began to grow ever larger surrounding all that was in its path. The small orange experimental aircraft that was moments earlier inside a hanger on the SDF1 had no chance to escape the light of the fold. The island below was also left without a way to escape the impending doom. A few minutes after the order to begin the space fold jump was given by Captain Henry Gloval on board the SDF1 the battle cruiser, a small experimental airplane, two large aircraft carriers, and an entire island disappeared from the face of the earth.  
  
On board the bridge of the SDF1 Corporal Rei Hino had a vision of impending doom.  
  
******  
  
"We quickly learned that our fold did not take us to our intended destination of the far side of the moon. Whether it was a miscalculation or a malfunction we do not know but the SDF1 soon found itself farther from home than we had intended. And we also learned we had brought something along for the ride. Once again it was my radar officer who gave us the first indication something went wrong.  
  
******  
  
"No it can't be." Michelle said in utter shock to her friends.  
  
"We didn't reappear on the far side of the moon." Mina added.  
  
"That's not the half of it guys we picked up some stragglers along for the ride." Rei told them.  
  
The rest of the bridge crew stood there in stunned silence as they saw what lay before them. Beneath the SDF1 was not the moon of the Earth but the frozen wasteland of the ninth planet of the solar system the tiny planet of ice known as Pluto.  
  
"Captain, I'm picking up something on the long range scanners." Rei informed him, "It appears to be a city covered in ice."  
  
"Captain, I'm picking up a distress signal. It seems to be coming from the Prometheus." Michelle reported to the rest of the crew.  
  
"What? The Prometheus, but how?" the captain demanded to know.  
  
"I've established communications with the Prometheus. It looks like everyone on board is going to be all right but their captain tells me the Dadelous and the entire island of Macross is on the surface of that planet with them." Michelle informed him.  
  
******  
  
"After we rescued the people from the surface of the planet Pluto we began attaching the two aircraft carriers to the SDF1 in an attempt to add extra launching space to our ship. After we completed that task we began rebuilding the city inside the SDF1. In my mind it was the least we could do for the people of Macross City. After learning the fold engines were no longer useful we prepared for the long journey home. We thought our return home would only last a year but a few memorable events along the way stretched that return time out a year longer than we expected.  
  
"During the first few months after the fold we were able to create what we call the pinpoint shield system. Also during that time we made our way past the last three planets in our solar system. It was at this time that the enemy began attacking us once more. We gave the enemy a pretty god run for the money when we used the ship's transformation capabilities. After a minor incident near Jupiter we made our way to Mars where we picked up a signal coming from Base Sara. I had decided to send down Commander Hayes and the Skull Squad to investigate the source of the signal and secure the area." Gloval reported.  
  
"At the base I learned there were no survivors left. After reporting in to the SDF1 I started on my way to oversee the transport of usable supplies and equipment. But before I could reach the transports the enemy began attacking Base Sara."  
  
******  
  
Lisa knew she had to tell the captain and the crew of the SDF1 the grim news. As the tears streamed down her face Lisa began her transmission.  
  
"This is Lisa Hayes inside Mars Base Sara calling the SDF1." She said.  
  
"This is the SDF1 go ahead Lisa." Claudia responded.  
  
"The search for survivors on the base has turned up negative. There are no survivors in Sara sir what do you want me to do next?" Lisa told them.  
  
"I want you to see if there are any usable supplies left on the base so we can transport them to the SDF1." The captain replied.  
  
"Aye sir." Lisa said as she ended the transmission.  
  
******  
  
For the next hour Captain Gloval continued to give the top brass at RDF command his report on the events of the past two years with several interruptions from the generals and admirals. After the Base Sara incident the captain went into the details surrounding the decision made by him to allow the people of Macross to be able to hold a beauty pageant. He even went into the details of how the mere mention of a pageant changed the morale of everyone on board the SDF1. It was one of the better decisions he and the mayor made together.  
  
"The whole attitude of the crew and the people of Macross City changed for the better with the anticipation surrounding the upcoming pageant." The captain told them.  
  
"Everyone had pageant fever even members of my bridge crew.  
  
******  
  
The pageant became the talk of the crew onboard the SDF1. All the men talked about the beautiful girls in the pageant and all the women talked about the possible prizes. One thing was for certain the mere mention of a pageant was brightening the sprits of everyone on the ship and giving them something to look forward to.  
  
Even the bridge crew was talking about the pageant. Claudia thought it would be a good morale booster for the people of the city. But Lisa didn't see it that way. She couldn't understand why anyone would want to go into something like that. Rei and Michelle thought the pageant would be a good way for people to get their minds off their current predicament. Mina on the other hand wanted to be a part of the Miss Macross pageant. She wanted to be an idol singer.  
  
"Hey guys I'm going into town and sign up for the Miss Macross pageant when the shift is over." Mina announced to her friends.  
  
"Hoping to cash in on some good prizes Mina?" Claudia asked her.  
  
"I'm hoping to get back in the spotlight lieutenant. I haven't done anything like this since I did some character modeling for the first Sailor V movie." Mina told her.  
  
"What about the idol singer contest?" Rei reminded her.  
  
"Oh yeah that too." Mina said.  
  
*******  
  
"Shortly after the Miss Macross pageant we began making attempts to contact RDF command for two weeks straight. The enemy intercepted each attempt we made to contact RDF command. It wasn't until we tried a few clever maneuvers that our transmissions finally made it through to the RDF command. But the news we were hoping to hear never came.  
  
******  
  
"Captain we actually made it through." Michelle said very surprised at what she had seen.  
  
For the first time in over two weeks Captain Henry Gloval commander of the SDF1 gave a huge sigh of relief. Now all they needed to do was wait for a reply.  
  
"All we need now is a reply from the RDF command." The captain told them.  
  
"Sir I'm receiving a priority one transmission from RDF command." Michelle informed him.  
  
"Put it through." He said.  
  
"SDF1 this is Colonel Garrett at RDF command it certainly is good to hear that everyone aboard your ship is alive and well. However, we can not we can not allow you to return to Earth. The enemy has not yet attacked Earth. For our safety and yours the longer you keep the enemy away from Earth the better off we'll all be." The colonel said.  
  
******  
  
"After receiving less than encouraging news we debated about what we were going to do next. But before we could even get the conversation going we received a strange transmission from the enemy after almost two years of chasing after the SDF1 the aliens sent their first communication to us. It scared each and every one of us to hear the enemy speaking in a language we could all understand. And during this transmission we finally learned what the enemy call themselves.  
  
******  
  
Michelle was still scanning the communication channels when she noticed a strange noise on the frequency they had originally used to try and contact RDF command. As she boosted the signal the transmission came in loud and clear for all to hear. Everyone was in a state of shock when they heard the alien speaking in perfect English.  
  
"We are the Zentreadi." The alien voice announced.  
  
"Well at least now we know what to call them." Mina said.  
  
"Surrender your vessel now or we will begin attacking your home world." The alien demanded.  
  
******  
  
"The Zentreadi had laid the cards out on the table, the SDF1 for the safety of the Earth thousands for billions. We weren't about to let that happen and we decided to do to them what they had been doing to us. We were going to listen in on their transmissions just like they had been listening in on our transmissions. And to do so I had decided to use the cat's eye plane escorted by four Veritech fighters to fly close to the Zentreadi ships and listen in on their transmissions. But something went wrong and the cat's eye plane and the entire escort unit were captured by the Zentreadi." The captain reported.  
  
"The Zentreadi took the myself and four others for examination and questioning. They kept asking if we knew anything about the location of a substance they call protoculture. It seems protoculture is a key component to their makeup.  
  
"When I told the Zentreadi leader we knew nothing about protoculture the Zentreadi became curious to know how human beings create a new generation to continue the race. The answer and what followed was quite interesting to both the Zentreadi and my fellow crewmembers.  
  
******  
  
Dolza was intrigued by what Rick and Ben had told him and wanted to know exactly what a kiss was. And the only way he would know is if someone showed him.  
  
"You two," he said pointing to Rick and Ben, "show me what you mean by kiss."  
  
Kissing, the Zentreadi demanded that Rick and Ben show them kissing. What happened next confused the Zentreadi further. The two pilots stared at each other like they were contaminated  
  
"I'll do it." Lisa volunteered.  
  
Dolza put Lisa down so she could show them kissing. Lisa looked around at the men in the room as though she was picking a piece of produce. After making her decision Lisa walked over to Rick and began talking to him.  
  
"Alright Lt. Hunter you and I are going to kiss." She said to Rick.  
  
"What? Have you lost your mind? What about Ben or Darien?" Rick replied trying to back out.  
  
"I can't kiss Corporal Shields it wouldn't be right. He loves Serena. And as for Corporal Dixon no offense but I couldn't see myself kissing him." Lisa explained.  
  
"Well then why can't Serena and Darien kiss for them?" Rick wanted to know.  
  
"I volunteered to do it. And besides I want to get their reaction on tape." Lisa said.  
  
"You're recording all of this?" Rick asked.  
  
"Yes, that way we'll be able to give our findings to RDF command when return to the Earth."  
  
"If we return at all."  
  
"Look I don't have time to argue about this Rick so just kiss me already."  
  
"Only if it's an order commander."  
  
"If that's the way you want it to be then I order you to kiss me."  
  
Rick sighed and gave in to Lisa's direct order to kiss her. Leaning in close to each other Rick and Lisa placed their lips together and began kissing. Then without even knowing it Rick pulled Lisa into his arms. Lisa instinctively placed her arms around Rick's neck.  
  
Why does this feel so familiar to me? Rick thought.  
  
Why does it feel like I've kissed him before? Lisa thought to herself.  
  
As the Zentreadi watched Rick and Lisa kiss they began screaming and backing away from the table. Never in all their lives had they seen a male and a female get so close to each other. A minute later when the kiss ended the Zentreadi high commander stared at Rick and Lisa in horror.  
  
Lisa and Rick backed away from each other with looks of dread in their eyes. The simple kiss had become much more then either had intended. What was supposed to be a way to show the Zentreadi what love looked like had turned into the beginnings of real feelings towards one another. Oh my god what just happened there, Lisa thought. I can't be having feelings for Commander Hayes I love Minmei or do I, Rick thought as he stared at Lisa.  
  
"Get them out of here!" Dolza demanded.  
  
******  
  
For the next hour Lisa recounted everything in her report about the Zentreadi. She gave the top brass in the RDF all the specifics about the size of the Zentreadi fleet and their technology. The top men in the RDF didn't even look as though they cared about what the daughter of Admiral Hayes was telling them. It seemed to Gloval that all they cared about was anything that would tell them whether or not the Zentreadi wanted to attack the Earth. And like the other officials on the SDF1 they tried to find a way to discredit everything Lisa was telling them only they didn't turn it into some type of joke. In their minds the farther away from Earth the SDF1 was the better off they thought they would be. With the completion of OTECH's greatest accomplishment RDF command began to act as though they didn't need the SDF1 anymore.  
  
"Gentlemen this concludes our report on the past two years and the Zentreadi." Captain Gloval said bringing the verbal report to a close.  
  
The large video screens went blank as the top men in the RDF deliberated their decision on the requests made by Captain Gloval for a truce between the humans and the Zentreadi.  
  
"I can't believe how insensitive they were being." Lisa complained.  
  
"It seems they didn't want to believe what we were telling them." Gloval replied.  
  
"The others I can understand but my own father?" Lisa said trying not to believe her father could be just as cruel and uncaring as the rest of the RDF leaders.  
  
After two hours of deliberations the RDF leaders reappeared on the video screens looking just as stern and uncaring as ever. Lisa and the captain stood up from their seats and saluted their commanding officers before taking their places by the podium once again.  
  
"After careful consideration we have no choice but to reject your request for peace talks with the Zentreadi." General Hammond told them.  
  
The captain couldn't believe his ears and wanted to know how the top brass was going to win against such a strong opponent.  
  
"General do you think you'll be able to win against a four million strong Zentreadi fleet?" Captain Gloval demanded to know.  
  
"Captain Gloval it is not a question of whether or not we will win it is a question of how well the Zentreadi can be trusted to participate in truce talks in good faith." Hammond replied tersely.  
  
Gloval knew he wouldn't be able to win the battle over the truce talks and decided to ask what he should do with the people of Macross City.  
  
"What then are we to do with the people of Macross City?" he asked in a more civil tone.  
  
"Captain Gloval while we truly feel for the people of Macross City we can not allow them to return to the Earth. In fact to the eyes of the world the citizens of Macross are dead. We published a report to the press stating that it was a terrorist attack that took out the island and the city along with it." Admiral Hayes began, "The people of this planet have been living out the last two years in peace. When you disappeared the Zentreadi, as you call them, left to find you and the SDF1. Since then there has not been a single alien attack upon the Earth. We have kept the knowledge of the aliens away from the public eye and we intend to keep it that way. Letting the citizens of Macross back into normal society would cause widespread panic over the entire Earth. We wish to prevent that from happening by keeping them away from our world. It is much easier to monitor any possible treasonous acts when the people of Macross are all on the SDF1. We are not afraid to sacrifice thousands of lives to save the billions here on Earth. We don't really need the SDF1 anymore to defend our world. OTECH has now seen to the safety of the Earth with the completion of the Grand Canon. So in order to keep this planet free of all alien activity we are ordering the SDF1 to return to space immediately. We need the extra time in order to prepare for an intergalactic war and you are going to buy that time for us."  
  
Lisa was going to try and get her father to see things from their point of view. She didn't care about the other officials in the room with him.  
  
"Father this is too much to ask of the civilians on the SDF1. They have finally returned to Earth and you want to turn them away. You have to let them return to society." Lisa pleaded.  
  
"Commander Hayes have you forgotten that I am your commanding officer?" the admiral began, "Now I would like you to kindly remember to address me as such in the future."  
  
"Yes sir." Lisa replied sounding quite defeated.  
  
"Now then if there is nothing else to discuss we can consider this matter closed. Dismissed." Hammond told the two senior officers.  
  
After saluting their superiors as the screens went blank for good Gloval turned to Lisa.  
  
"Commander would you like to see your father to spend some family time with him before we leave." He told her.  
  
"Captain I do not wish to see the Admiral for the remainder of our stay here." Lisa replied strongly emphasizing her father's title.  
  
"I understand completely and I sympathize with how you are feeling Lisa." Gloval said making Lisa feel a bit better about things.  
  
TBC in part 2 of Homecoming!  
  
Please R&R! 


	13. Part 12b

Disclaimer: I do not now or have I ever owned the characters of Sailor Moon, Robotech. People I want to say something about Miss Lynn Minmei. I don't like her. I like the Rick/Lisa romance and Minmei just gets in the way. So if you like her don't read this, however, if you want to see a new bitchy side to Minmei please enjoy! At first she'll be nice until the Miss Macross pageant then watch out people Rick will leave her in the dust for Lisa don't worry I slowly bring Rick and Lisa together. Again I want to thank Chibi Halo who wrote 'Sailor Moon Macross' without this story wouldn't have existed. As always please R&R this so I know how it is coming across to people! Chibi Halo I would like to know what you think as well! Chibi Halo there might be a few scenes in my story but I pray you won't mind. One more thing for the beginning of the first few chapters I will use your chapter names, I will come up with my own after the last chapter you named. People who haven't read her story yet please do it is a great read! Please enjoy and now on with the story! This is the only Disclaimer I will write! I just wanted to thank Chibi Halo for being my beta reader!  
  
Authors note: When ever I am talking about Kevin, Nathan, Justin and Zack as a group I will refer to them as the four earth generals as that is what they were suppose to be in the manga before Beryl brainwashed them!  
  
Here comes Trista ready or not! Oh and Minmei lovers this is the beginning of the end of her old goody two-shoe days! But if you like Rick/Lisa relationships stick with it we're going to be headed there!  
  
Robotech Warriors Book 1 By thunderbird with Sections From Chibi Halo  
  
While the captain and Lisa were visiting with RDF command in Alaska Minmei went to visit her parents in Yokohama, Japan. An hour after Captain Gloval and Commander Hayes departed from the SDF1 Rick Hunter and Lynn Minmei made their final preparations to leave the SDF1 from the Dadelous to go to Japan. Because of her status as Miss Macross Minmei was the only civilian being allowed to leave the SDF1. And because she was Miss Macross the press and a small crowd were on hand to witness her departure much to Rick's dismay.  
  
This will be the first time since Minmei apologized that I've seen her I wonder if she's back to her old self, Rick thought.  
  
No sooner than the thought crossed Rick's mind a car pulled up to the deck of the Dadelous. The door of the car opened and a very tired looking Minmei stepped out and feigned a smile for her fans and the press. It was obvious Minmei hadn't received much sleep since Rick last saw her. Being Miss Macross was taking its toll on her.  
  
Rick climbed into the experimental aircraft and waited for the flight crew to help Minmei into her seat behind Rick. Minmei climbed the ladder to her seat and began getting comfortable.  
  
"You seem to be acting a lot nicer than usual Rick." Minmei observed.  
  
Gee I guess she forgot about the apology she gave me already, Rick thought.  
  
"Oh I guess I grew up a bit since I joined the military." Rick said playing along with her.  
  
Once Minmei was comfortably in her seat the canvas of the plane was lowered and Rick began flight procedures. Within five minutes the small two seat experimental airplane left the Dadelous headed towards Japan with Miss Macross on board.  
  
"It's been a long time hasn't it Rick." Minmei commented.  
  
"It sure has; I've forgotten how I've felt for her." Rick replied caressing the yolk of the plane.  
  
Minmei didn't quite hear or understand what Rick meant by his last statement and leaned forward to get better clarification of what he said.  
  
"What?" Minmei asked him.  
  
"Oh nothing." Rick said playfully messing with her head.  
  
Rick knew Minmei would try and get him to clarify his statement. Still a bit confused about his feelings for her Rick wanted to get her mind off of the current topic and began doing some of the maneuvers he used to perform in his father's air circus. After performing a few simple barrel rolls Rick returned the plane into its upright position and concentrated on flying once again.  
  
As the small plane sailed through the sky six Veritech fighters pulled up along side the small plane revealing Kevin, Justin, Nathan, Ben, Max, and Serena out on patrol together. Ben dipped his wings in salute to Miss Macross while Serena called them over the radio.  
  
"Just making sure you and Minmei get out safely lieutenant." She said.  
  
The others decided to have some more fun with their CO and began joking around about the two of them being on a date.  
  
"Have fun on your date lieutenant." Max said.  
  
"Yeah hope you two love birds have a good time." Ben added.  
  
"Don't forget Lt. Hunter to have her home before mid-night!" Justin laughed through the radio.  
  
"Oh real cute Justin! But serious have fun sir and be careful!" Nathan told him.  
  
"Yes please be careful Rick and come back!" Kevin said.  
  
"We will!" Rick told his friends.  
  
Minmei thought the guys were being silly and liked the idea of being on a date.  
  
"You know it does sort of feel like a date Rick." Minmei said.  
  
Serena's voice came over the radio once again and it was time for the Veritechs to return home.  
  
"Well guys it's time to let these two wonderful kids be on their way. We need to get back." She told the guys.  
  
"Yes ma'am." They replied in unison.  
  
Alone once again Minmei began talking about all the things she had been doing since their date at the café before Rick's capture.  
  
"You know Rick I finished my album and went on TV to promote it. I even made a TV movie, did a musical special, and did my favorite musical play at a small playhouse for a week and recorded the music from it. The director of the TV movie was the same man who directed the Sailor V movie. He says he wants me to do a movie for the big screen for him and I get to pick someone to be in it with me. How about it Rick? How would you like to be a movie star." Minmei said.  
  
"Gee Minmei thanks for the offer but I'm pretty busy in the RDF. How do you keep up with that schedule of yours?" Rick wondered.  
  
Rick got no response from Minmei who by this time had given Rick her answer when she fell asleep in her seat. Rick sighed and smiled while he headed the plane towards Japan.  
  
******  
  
Part 12B: Homecoming Part 2: Return Home  
  
******  
  
Back with the Vermilion squadron the guys couldn't wait to get done with patrols. They all had plans that they wanted to do with their loved ones. Ben and Max were going to just sit back and relax. To bad for Serena she had to do a lot of paper work.  
  
"So Max, Ben what are the two of you going to do?" Justin asked.  
  
"Oh well I'm not really doing anything except relaxing!" Max said.  
  
"Yeah I don't know what I'm doing either!" Ben said.  
  
"Well guys looks like our shift is over Kevin, Justin and Nathan have fun with the girls! Max, Ben what ever it is you're going to do have fun too!" Serena said over the radio as they headed in to dock.  
  
******  
  
Rick and Minmei had been flying for hours. As the landscape changed around them Rick noticed they were passing by Mount Fuji and thought Minmei would like to get a good look at the famous Japanese landmark out their window.  
  
"Minmei wake up we're in Japan now." Rick said.  
  
Minmei woke up and looked out at the scenery before her. The sight of Mount Fuji was one of the most amazing things she had ever seen. Not saying a word Minmei stared out the canopy of the plane in awe. The large snow covered mountain towered over the beautiful Japanese countryside as the tiny plane flew past the mountain towards its destination of Yokohama.  
  
******  
  
Serena enjoyed having the afternoon off. With a break in the action and the captain and the commander gone for the day things were pretty slow. Serena had volunteered to take Rick's place and take the Vermilion squad out on their patrol run so he could take Minmei to Yokohama. In fact Serena didn't mind it at all she wanted to do it so Rick and Minmei could spend some much- needed time together.  
  
Ever since the restaurant incident Minmei had been avoiding Rick like the plague by taking on more projects than ever. And now Minmei was beginning to get a swelled ego. People still refused to notice it too. Minmei was becoming a rising media star. A month after the Cat's Eye and three members of the Vermilion squad had disappeared Minmei had her first album finished and she was on TV promoting it like the dickens. There was even talk about a second album, which came to fruition when she recorded the music from her favorite musical play. In fact, Minmei was willing to do anything that would take her mind off of Rick.  
  
Serena sat in her little chair eating take out Chinese from Lynn's while she tried to go over her paperwork. Luna was munching on some grilled shrimp Serena had ordered for her. It was expensive but it was better than the cat food the supermarket had to offer. Looking down at the papers sprawled out on the table Serena sighed and decided to postpone doing her paperwork. It was times like these Luna could swear the princess and the schoolgirl personas were fighting with each other for control. Luna hoped the princess would win but she enjoyed the days when the schoolgirl was in charge.  
  
Picking up her remote control Serena turned on her TV to get an update on the latest news from the MBS. Turning to the new channel Serena caught the beginning of the mid day report.  
  
"Good afternoon I'm Marina Corwin and this is MBS news at noon." The anchor began in a noticeable British accent, "Toping today's stories Henry J. Gloval captain of the SDF1 and first officer Commander Lisa Hayes have gone to meet with RDF officials in Alaska. Reports indicate the captain will be requesting the formation of a series of truce talks between the RDF and the Zentreadi. It has also been reported that Captain Gloval will request permission for the safe return of the citizens of Macross City into society. More will be reported on this story as new information becomes available. In other news..."  
  
Serena changed the channel because she knew the rest of the newscast would be mostly about the mayor and Minmei. Nothing much ever really happened in Macross City. Nothing worth really talking about had taken place since the Miss Macross pageant. Stopping on the entertainment channel Serena saw a quick blurb on Minmei being the only civilian able to leave the SDF1 before changing channels again.  
  
Stopping on the movie channel Serena saw what had to have been the millionth replay of the Sailor V live action movie. Since it was the only new movie in town at the time of the first Zentreadi attack the people in Macross made a big deal out of it.  
  
"This channel only has nine movies to show besides this one and they seem to play this all the time. Oh well let's see what's on the other channels." Serena said as she flipped the channel.  
  
The next channel was the anime channel and it just so happened this channel was showing the second Sailor V anime movie.  
  
"Oh my god you are not going to believe this one but the anime channel is showing the second Sailor V anime movie and the last channel was showing the live action version at the same time." Serena commented to Luna.  
  
"Wonders never cease to amaze me. Shouldn't you be doing your paperwork Serena?" Luna replied before going back to her shrimp.  
  
"Oh I will just not right now. Right now I'm going to watch this documentary on Big Brother Roy on the science and nature channel." Serena told her.  
  
******  
  
The small plane landed in Yokohama an hour after it passed by Mount Fuji. The two passengers of tiny plane made their way from the municipal airport into the city. The moment Minmei saw the city she got a real excited look upon her face and began staring at the buildings as though she had never been there before. Rick grabbed Minmei by the hand and began leading her through the city trying to point out all the interesting places along the way.  
  
"The building on your right is the Yokohama opera house." Rick told a disinterested Minmei as he read the sign near the building.  
  
"I can't wait to show my parents how much I've changed." Minmei said not really noticing if Rick was paying any attention to her.  
  
Looking around Minmei noticed a small toyshop with a display of stuffed bears in the window. Running towards the shop Minmei dragged Rick along for the ride. Rick noticed where they were going and decided he had to put his foot down if they were going to have enough time to spend with Minmei's parents. They only had permission to be gone from the SDF1 for no more than one day.  
  
"Minmei we can't dawdle around town looking in every window that has something cute in it. We have to be back to the SDF1 by no later than eight tonight." Rick reminded her.  
  
"Oh Rick you need to learn how to have fun." Minmei said with a giggle.  
  
"Minmei I wish I could have fun but I have my orders!" Rick told her.  
  
Once they were on their way again Rick resumed his tour guide duty and began pointing out more interesting buildings and landmarks around town. Minmei continued to stare at each building in awe and wonder. Even though she had seen them before she hadn't been back to Yokohama in two and a half years.  
  
******  
  
It was a rare day when both Amara and Michelle had a day off. Serena had exercised her rights as a squad commander and decided to give her friends a day to catch up on life. And with the commander gone with the captain Claudia gave the main bridge crew a well-deserved day off. Amara and Michelle were going to spend their day off just being a family by taking Hotaru to the park and a few of the other fun places in town including the ice cream parlor.  
  
Sitting in the ice cream parlor Michelle noticed how much she and Amara had been acting like a married couple lately. They talked about all the things a married couple would discuss and had fallen into the routine married people would get into. The life partners weren't officially married but their closest friends and even their foster daughter treated them as though they were actually married. To them the writing was on the wall when they found out Amara and Michelle were living together years ago. And even though the others thought of them as being married Michelle wouldn't have it any other way.  
  
"What are you thinking about Michelle?" Amara asked her.  
  
Michelle was brought back to reality when Amara's deep feminine voice broke the silence. It was this monotone baritone voice that got most people thinking Amara was a man. But once they found out she was a woman they quickly began looking for some way to tell her voice was feminine.  
  
"Huh? Oh I was just thinking how we've become quite the little family over the past few years. Ever since we've been away from Earth this is the only life Hotaru's known." Michelle said.  
  
Amara could understand where Michelle was coming from. Since the war began and the SDF1 made its failed fold life under a simulated sky was all the seventy thousand people of Macross had. And if the captain and Lisa didn't succeed that day life on the SDF1 would be the only thing they would have.  
  
"This war affects more than just us Michelle. This time the whole world is watching. And if we don't do something to stop the Zentreadi we may never set foot on land again." Amara reminded her.  
  
Hotaru didn't like it when her mama and papa began talking this way. Not going back to Tokyo meant there wouldn't be any future or Crystal Tokyo.  
  
"But what about our future?" Hotaru asked with eyes full of concern.  
  
"Don't worry peanut we'll have Crystal Tokyo some day." Michelle reassured her.  
  
******  
  
Rick and Minmei stopped near the entrance to the Chinatown district of Yokohama. The large red pagoda styled sign written in Mandarin Chinese welcomed visitors to Chinatown. Looking up at the sign Rick didn't have to know Mandarin to know which district they were about to enter. The style of the sign and the buildings were distinctive of any Chinatown district in the world. Taking Minmei by the hand Rick went to find the home of Miss Macross.  
  
"There it is Rick." Minmei said five minutes later as she pointed to a building that looked like her uncle's place in Macross City.  
  
The sign over the door was exactly the same as its counterpart in Macross City. There in Yokohama was another Lynn's Chinese restaurant. Walking inside the restaurant Minmei looked around and smiled. For the first time in over two years Lynn Minmei was finally home.  
  
"I'm home." Minmei called out in a normal tone of voice.  
  
A few minutes later a woman who looked like an older version of Minmei came out of a back room with a tray filled with teacups. Putting the tray down on the nearest table she began to place the teacups on the table. When she finally faced Minmei and Rick Mrs. Lynn looked up and lost all the color in her face before she dropped her teacup.  
  
Upon hearing the shattering teacup a man who looked a lot like Lynn Chan came out to see what was wrong. Noticing his wife's state he looked towards the young couple standing near the door and began shaking as he stared straight towards Minmei. Tears of joy began rolling down his face because his little girl was brought back to them.  
  
To Minmei it looked as though her parents were looking at a ghost. The Yokohama Lynns were crying as they came over to hug their daughter. Minmei was home and that's all that mattered to them. But the moment their arms went around their daughter any thoughts of showing them how much she had changed left the mind of the soon to be seventeen year old. Minmei began acting as though nothing was different and she had never even left home.  
  
"Minmei you've come back to us." her mother said through tears.  
  
"We thought you were lost to us for good." Her father added.  
  
After letter their daughter go Minmei's parents turned their attention towards Rick and wondered who the young man with their daughter was.  
  
"Minmei who's this young man with you?" her mother asked.  
  
"Mom, dad this is Rick Hunter." Minmei said using a casual introduction, "Rick these are my parents Lynn Xian and Lynn Mai."  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you." Rick said shaking hands with Minmei's father.  
  
Xian wondered how his daughter had met such a nice strong young man.  
  
"Minmei where did you meet this young man?" Xian asked her.  
  
"Well if it wasn't for Rick I wouldn't be here. He saved my life when we got stranded inside the ship. But that wasn't the first time he saved me. He stopped some nasty alien from stepping on me." Minmei told her parents as though it were nothing.  
  
"Mr. Hunter we are truly grateful for what you have done for our daughter." Mai said to Rick.  
  
"I just happened to be in the right place at the right time is all." Rick replied.  
  
Rick noticed a confused look upon the face of Minmei's father. Something about Minmei's story had the patriarch of the Lynn family puzzled. Nowhere had anyone had ever mentioned anything about aliens being involved in the disappearance of Macross Island.  
  
"Minmei honey there were no aliens when the island blew up." Xian told his daughter.  
  
Minmei didn't know what her parents had been told but she knew there were aliens out there and they had been trying to take away the place she had been calling home for two years.  
  
"Daddy the island didn't blow up. Everyone's okay and has been living on the spaceship that was in Macross City. In fact, Uncle Chan has been getting a lot of customers at the restaurant from the military section of the ship." Minmei said.  
  
Xian was glad to hear is brother and his wife were alive and doing well but the thought of his daughter living in a place where military men came and went freely scared him half to death. He didn't know how those type of men thought but he was certain they would take advantage of an impressionable young teenager like his daughter. Xian didn't know just how right his thinking was it was just a whole different group of people taking advantage of her.  
  
******  
  
The future was looking a lot better for the Scouts on board the SDF1. Now that they were back on Earth Crystal Tokyo was looking more and more like a reality to them. If everything went right between the captain and RDF command then the groundwork for the future could begin. But at the moment the future was hanging by a thread.  
  
Rei was in her quarters doing what she had done for almost two months meditating without the aid of the flames. Ever since word had come through from RDF command that the SDF1 was to remain in space Rei was trying to find a way to know if the future they had seen during the attacks by the Black Moon Family would ever exist. The visions Rei had been getting told her that the next dozen years or so would be the hardest years of their lives. But more importantly the outcome of the war with the Zentreadi would be enough to solidify Serena's position as a world leader. The only problem at the time she had that vision was the fact that their princess and her prince had vanished and were now considered MIA.  
  
As Rei sat in her meditative position she used to communicate with the sacred fire she went through the ritual she used during each meditation. Moving her hands in the familiar positions of the kanji Rei called out the name for each one. Upon reaching the last gesture Rei began repeating the hand movements over and over again going faster and faster during each repetition. When the vision finally came Rei stopped her chanting and sat with her hands folded in a prayer position with her index fingers pointing up as the vision played itself out.  
  
The vision Rei had showed three distinct battles. Each battle had an ending that had Rei scared. Three Veritech fighters were shot at and in the last battle the Veritech exploded as it impacted into the side of a mountain. Rei couldn't tell who was piloting the three Veritechs or what squads they came from she just knew one of the pilots was going to die. Rei hoped that pilot wasn't Serena or any of her other friends.  
  
******  
  
Minmei couldn't stop talking about the things the people of Macross had accomplished over the past two years. As she talked about the broadcasting system and the mail service Rick sat in silence counting down the minutes until it would be time for them to return to the SDF1. Minmei was about to tell her parents all about the Miss Macross pageant and about being crowned the first ever Miss Macross when Rick thought it was high time they return to the SDF1.  
  
"Minmei you'd better start saying your good-byes because if we want to get back to the SDF1 at a reasonable hour we'd have to leave now." Rick said.  
  
Minmei's father was going to hear of no such thing. He had just gotten his daughter back and he didn't want to loose her again. There was no way on Earth Lynn Xian was letting his only child return to a ship full of military men starving to take advantage of an impressionable young woman like Minmei.  
  
"I'm sorry Mr. Hunter but my daughter will not be returning with you." Xian told Rick.  
  
Minmei wasn't about to let her father stop her. She had far too much that needed to be done back on the SDF1. And she planned on finishing all of it.  
  
"Daddy you have to let me go back with Rick. I'm needed up there. I'm doing important work on that ship. The brave soldiers on that ship need me to help boost their morale." Minmei argued.  
  
Xian wasn't going to hear it from her.  
  
"Minmei what could you possibly be doing up there that you can't do down here? We need you here. One day this restaurant will be yours and it's about time you learned how to run it properly." He argued right back at her.  
  
"I happen to be Miss Macross." Minmei yelled back, "I entered a pageant they had and won. Now I have two albums and an acting career. They need me."  
  
Just as Minmei's father was about to yell at her for entering the pageant footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs that lead to the rooms above the restaurant. There coming down the stairs was a young man no older than Rick with long black hair and glasses. He looked to be in fairly good shape but not overly muscular. The young man had on a mustard yellow mock turtleneck and blue jeans with black Doc Martin boots underneath. Upon his face was look of frustration over all the yelling going on below.  
  
"Would you mind keeping it down. I'm trying to study up there." the young man said.  
  
Minmei's attention was torn from her father to the young standing at the bottom of the stairs. Upon first glance at him Minmei's whole face lit up. Running over to the new arrival Minmei threw her arms around him in a great big hug and squeezed as tight as she could.  
  
"Oh Kyle it's so good to see you again." Minmei said trying to hold back the tears.  
  
Kyle, as Minmei had called him, placed his arms around Minmei and smiled. He had to admit it was good to see Minmei alive and well and if she was alive then his family must be as well.  
  
"Minmei it's good to see you too. How are my parents?" he replied.  
  
"They're doing fine. They reopened the restaurant and have had great business ever since." Minmei told him.  
  
"That's good to hear. Who's you friend over there?" Kyle said as he noticed Rick.  
  
Minmei thought she would have some fun with Kyle and introduce Rick the way he should have been introduced in the first place. Once Kyle found out what Rick did for a living he would throw a hissy fit and stumble over every word he said.  
  
"Kyle I'd like you to meet Lieutenant Rick Hunter. Rick this is my cousin Lynn Kyle." Minmei said introducing the two headstrong young men.  
  
The first thing running through Kyle's mind was the fact that Rick was a military man. Kyle hated the military for everything they did and stood for. At the same time Rick kept thinking Minmei and Kyle were being too familiar with each other for just being cousins. The two men stared at each other neither one speaking. After a few moments of silence Kyle finally spoke.  
  
"So your part of the military do you enjoy going around causing mass destruction wherever you go?" Kyle spat out.  
  
"I don't destroy something if can help it. As a friend of mine put it we're out there protecting honest decent individuals putting our lives on the line so this world can have a peaceful future. We don't look for glory and fame. Knowing the people we're protecting can sleep through another night unharmed is all the payment we need." Rick argued using the words Serena had spoken many times.  
  
"Then I guess you can't help it Military." Kyle argued back.  
  
Not wanting to see her cousin and her boyfriend argue with each other Minmei decided to intervene by reminding Rick they needed to return to the SDF1 before curfew.  
  
"Rick maybe we should get going. We don't want to be late for curfew." Minmei said.  
  
Kyle wasn't about to let his favorite cousin return to a military ship with a military pilot. And if what he had heard was true Minmei's position on the ship would be of some use to the young protestor.  
  
"I could go with you Minmei. I want to see my parents again and I'm certain your father will feel better knowing I'm going with you." Kyle offered.  
  
"That's a wonderful idea Kyle." Xian said with a big smile and a look that told Rick and Minmei the subject was closed and Kyle would be going.  
  
"Good then if there are no objections I'll get my things together and we can leave. I wouldn't want to get Minmei into trouble by having her late for curfew." Kyle said.  
  
Five minutes later Kyle was packed and ready to go carrying a small bag that held his belongings. After hugging her parents goodbye Minmei, Kyle, and Rick made their way to the Yokohama Municipal Airport to begin the journey home.  
  
After the preflight check had been made the small two seater took off from the small runway. Minmei, who was seated on Kyle's lap, wrapped her arms around Kyle's neck and held on for dear life. Once they were in the air Rick was about to say something to Minmei but when he turned around to speak with her all he saw was Minmei laughing at something Kyle had said to her. In Rick's mind Minmei looked happier now that Kyle had reentered her life.  
  
******  
  
Captain Henry J. Gloval of the SDF1, member of the RDF, and former Soviet soldier sat in silence as the transport plane made its way back to the SDF1 under the cover of night. The last words spoken to him by the commanding officers of the RDF played themselves out over and over again in his mind. He couldn't believe RDF command would think and say such things let alone the father of his first officer. The words spoken to him by Admiral Hayes that echoed through his mind were some of the harshest words he had ever heard anyone speak about their fellow man.  
  
"It is much easier to monitor any possible treasonous acts when the people of Macross are all on the SDF1." Admiral Hayes's voice rang in the back of Gloval's head.  
  
To them telling the truth of what happened to us over the last two years would be treason, Gloval though to himself.  
  
"We are not afraid to sacrifice thousands of lives to save the billions here on Earth." He could hear the admiral say in his biting tone.  
  
But I am. I am afraid to sacrifice a single life whether it is on the SDF1 or on Earth I am afraid to loose a life while I am in command of that ship, Gloval thought.  
  
"We don't really need the SDF1 anymore to defend our world." Gloval winced remembering the way the admiral stressed the word our.  
  
So they feel they don't need the SDF1 to protect them anymore yet they feel they need us to be a decoy for the Zentreadi, Gloval thought.  
  
"So in order to keep this planet free of all alien activity we are ordering the SDF1 to return to space immediately."  
  
These people haven't seen the Earth in two years and they expect me to take it away from them in one single night just to keep them from getting fired upon by the Zentreadi, he thought.  
  
Gloval kept playing the words over and over again in his mind. And each time he heard the admiral tell him the SDF1 was not wanted yet it was actually needed Gloval got madder and madder at RDF command. The words Henry J. Gloval said to his bridge crew on the day the Zentreadi first made themselves known now seemed as eerie as one of Rei's premonitions. The RDF command had indeed sentenced the crew of the SDF1 and the people of Macross to their deaths. They were sending the lambs to the slaughter and there was nothing he could do to stop them.  
  
Lisa was also replaying her father's words in her mind. She couldn't believe the man she looked up to would just let thousands of people die out there in space. The captain had promised each and every one of those people they would be brought safely back to Earth so they could rebuild once again. And Lisa was going to back him up in that decision one hundred percent. She didn't care if it meant going against her own father because to her Henry Gloval was more like a father to her than her own father was.  
  
Sighing Lisa looked down at the envelope baring the seal of the RDF upon it. The crisp white envelope had her name written upon it with black ink in her father's familiar handwriting. It didn't address her by her rank it just simply said Lisa upon it. Lisa was going to wait until she returned to her room to open the letter but she was curious to know what the admiral had to say about the entire situation so she decided to open it on the plane. The sound of the rustling paper was added to the soft clicking of the captain working on his computer. Once the letter was unfolded Lisa began to read it.  
  
Lisa,  
  
You are probably wondering about the decision made by the high-ranking leaders of the RDF command. Let me tell you it was not an easy decision for us to make. But it was one we had to make. I know lying about your disappearance to the world was wrong but we had to do it in order to protect the world from widespread panic. Let me say this the world treated you like heroes when they learned the tragic news. And in my mind you are a hero for braving it out in space for two years. But know this you will not have to spend another day in space as long as I am an admiral in the RDF command. Right now I am working on measures to get you transferred off of the SDF1 and back on solid ground once again. You will never have to worry about the aliens ever again because we will be side by side in the RDF command center very soon. I'm doing this for your safety Lisa.  
  
Dad  
  
Like the trip over to RDF command the trip home went unnoticed by Captain Gloval. Not once did the captain look out his window to see the stars in the sky or the lights from the islands below. All he could see or rather wished to see was the bulkhead in front of him. The brief case containing his reports and other important paperwork was sitting underneath his chair. Gloval had his laptop out to try and get some work done but he just couldn't stand to look at another official transmission or report that bared the insignia of the RDF. Instead he decided to add to the extremely personal and detailed journal he had been keeping over the past two years. His experience with the RDF brass and his personal thoughts on them were written down allowing the captain to get things he wanted to say to the RDF commanding officers off his chest without getting into trouble.  
  
"Sir, we're going to be landing on the Prometheus shortly so you might want to turn off any electronics you have with you." The pilot said.  
  
"Thank you lieutenant." Gloval replied as he shut down the laptop.  
  
"It sure feels good to be home sir." The lieutenant commented trying to make some small talk.  
  
"Yes it does feel good to be home." The captain replied not certain if the pilot was referring to the Earth or the SDF1 as home.  
  
TBC  
  
Please Read and Review! 


	14. Part 13

Disclaimer: I do not now or have I ever owned the characters of Sailor Moon, Robotech. People I want to say something about Miss Lynn Minmei. I don't like her. I like the Rick/Lisa romance and Minmei just gets in the way. So if you like her don't read this, however, if you want to see a new bitchy side to Minmei please enjoy! At first she'll be nice until the Miss Macross pageant then watch out people Rick will leave her in the dust for Lisa don't worry I slowly bring Rick and Lisa together. Again I want to thank Chibi Halo who wrote 'Sailor Moon Macross' without this story wouldn't have existed. As always please R&R this so I know how it is coming across to people! Chibi Halo I would like to know what you think as well! Chibi Halo there might be a few scenes in my story but I pray you won't mind. One more thing for the beginning of the first few chapters I will use your chapter names, I will come up with my own after the last chapter you named. People who haven't read her story yet please do it is a great read! Please enjoy and now on with the story! This is the only Disclaimer I will write! I just wanted to thank Chibi Halo for being my beta reader!  
  
Authors note: When ever I am talking about Kevin, Nathan, Justin and Zack as a group I will refer to them as the four earth generals as that is what they were suppose to be in the manga before Beryl brainwashed them!  
  
Here comes Trista ready or not! Oh and Minmei lovers this is the beginning of the end of her old goody two-shoe days! But if you like Rick/Lisa relationships stick with it we're going to be headed there!  
  
Robotech Warriors Book 1 By thunderbird with Sections From Chibi Halo  
  
Anyone who was anyone on the SDF1 kept up with the gossip on board the ship. And anyone who was anyone on the SDF1 contributed to the gossip with juicy bits of information they might have. And the news that morning was centered on everyone's favorite Chinese restaurant. It seemed the first to break the news on the military end was one Rick Hunter who was complaining to his squad about Minmei's hippie wannabe cousin who decided to come to the SDF1 with them. As usual Mina Aino was within earshot of the talk and instantly began translating the complaints into gossip lingo. And by the time she had reached the bridge for work half of the military personnel were talking about the first new arrival in Macross City since Rick Hunter two years ago.  
  
Lisa Hayes had yet to hear the newest piece of gossip Mina helped to spread around the military section of the ship and with the mood she was in she would remain impervious to the gossip all morning. Upon entering the bridge of the SDF1 the casual chatter stopped. Claudia who had seen her in the mess hall for breakfast had warned the rest of the bridge crew about Lisa's current mood. Lisa looked as though she didn't want to be bothered and Claudia left it at that. If something about the day before was bothering her it wasn't Claudia's place to pry into Lisa's personal affairs unless Lisa came to her first.  
  
"Lisa I was thinking about going to the Chinese place for lunch today and wondered if you wanted to come along with me." Claudia told her friend as she performed her morning duties.  
  
"What about Roy? Wouldn't you rather go to lunch with him?" Lisa asked.  
  
"Roy's on duty all day and can't go. So I thought I'd take my best friend." Claudia explained.  
  
"I'll go with you on one condition." Lisa said.  
  
"What's that?" Claudia wanted to know.  
  
"We don't talk about yesterday." Lisa told her.  
  
"Right yesterday never happened." Claudia responded trying to make her best friend feel better.  
  
******  
  
Morning came and went on the SDF1 and the lunch hour was quite a busy time in Macross City. People rushed here and there going to restaurants and shops spending their lunch break trying to get their errands done before they had to return to work. The hustle and bustle of a normal city went unnoticed by the world around it as though it had never existed.  
  
In the two years the city had existed as a part of the SDF1 the seventy thousand or so faces on the ship began to look familiar to everyone in the ship. A person may not know someone's name but the face would be recognizable. Anyone new to the SDF1 would be easily spotted. And in the past week and a half there were four new faces on board the SDF1. Three of them had gone unnoticed but the fourth one was the talk of the town for the day before Lynn Chan and his wife Lynn Kim had been reunited with their son.  
  
Like everyone else in the city Claudia could tell when someone new had come to the SDF1 and as she and Lisa walked to the Chinese restaurant Claudia could tell something was a bit off. Looking around the street corner Claudia saw the familiar faces she had seen each and every day on the SDF1. As she continued to look Claudia caught sight of a person she had not seen before. There walking out of the Chinese restaurant was a young man in jeans and a casual shirt with long dark hair and eyes small wire rimmed glasses and black boots.  
  
"Lisa take a look over by the Chinese place." Claudia said getting her friend's attention.  
  
Lisa who had learned to tune out the faces around her came back to reality and looked in the direction her friend was indicating. Instead of seeing a young college aged Chinese man with long black hair and glasses Lisa saw the spitting image of her long departed best friend and crush Carl Ribber. Lisa was in love, or at least she thought she was, and was going to do all she could to find out who he was.  
  
******  
  
Part 13: Near Death  
  
******  
  
Kyle was glad to be back with his parents yet he wasn't too happy about their current situation. The people of Macross City were forced to live inside a military vessel something he saw as an instrument of destruction. In Kyle's mind nothing good could ever come from the military. All he saw was broken families and a world that suffered at the hands of military might. Kyle couldn't stand to be near military personnel and when he graduated from high school Kyle accepted an offer to go to a college in Yokohama Japan where the spirit of Berkley in the sixties was quiet evident.  
  
In college Kyle had met up with a group of people who shared his thoughts on the military. Together they staged peaceful protests and held speeches to inform the public about the evils of the military. And at the center of these protests was the SDF1. To them the SDF1 was a tool that could be used to push the weight of the military upon weaker individuals. Kyle vowed he wouldn't go back to Macross City to see his parents until the SDF1 had left for space. And when the fateful day came Kyle like the rest of the world were made to believe the people of Macross Island were dead.  
  
When Minmei returned to Yokohama the day before everything Kyle had heard was proven to be nothing more than bunch of lies. Kyle knew Minmei was down there but he just didn't want to see her. Then something changed his mind. During her argument with her father Minmei blurted out that she was a media star in Macross. Kyle's mind raced a mile a minute. He knew that if the people of Macross City idolized his little cousin he could use it to his advantage. If Kyle could get Minmei to speak out against the RDF then the people of Macross wouldn't support the SDF1 and he could get his parents to leave Macross for good. And that's when Lynn Kyle made himself known by complaining he couldn't study with all the arguing going on downstairs.  
  
Kyle's plan was going fine until Minmei introduced her friend. It turned out the boy she was with was from the military. Kyle couldn't have his little cousin get poisoned by the military. And in the blink of an eye Kyle decided to pull the greatest political move in his life he was going to steal the girlfriend of a military man right from under his nose. And the first step in doing that was to get Minmei involved in the biggest project of her fledgling career the movie she talked about the night before. As Kyle walked down the streets of Macross he began to devise a way to take total control of Minmei's career and life.  
  
******  
  
"Earth calling Lisa. Come in commander." Claudia said trying to snap Lisa out of her dazed state.  
  
Lisa was brought back to reality and looked over at her best friend. Ever since they were assigned to the SDF1 and the base on the former Macross Island Lisa and Claudia were the best of friends and could always talk to each other. To Lisa Claudia was like the sister she always wanted.  
  
"Huh? Oh sorry I guess I have a lot on my mind lately." Lisa said still a bit out of it.  
  
"Does it have to do with that day that never happened?" Claudia asked referring to the day before.  
  
"A little but it also has to do with that new face in the crowd. He reminds me of someone I knew growing up and the memories are a little painful." Lisa explained.  
  
"I think we've all been down that road before." Claudia commented.  
  
Yeah, but what do you do when someone you've never met before looks like the ghost of your first love and you'd do anything to be with him, Lisa thought.  
  
******  
  
Minmei had been on the movie set for hours now. The open cal1 for a leading man was coming up with nothing. The men that had shown up were either too old or too out of shape. Some of them couldn't even act their way out of a paper bag if they tried. The director wondered if they came just to see Minmei in person. As the director looked over lists trying to figure out how he was going to pick someone from a group of rejects and has- beens Kyle came walking onto the set. Minmei who was talking a break at the time brightened up when she saw her cousin come onto the set.  
  
"Kyle what are you doing here?" Minmei asked him.  
  
"Well I had nothing planned today and I wanted to see what my favorite cousin did for a living." Kyle told her pouring on all the charm.  
  
Minmei smiled at her cousin for the remark he made. Even though she was his only cousin he still called her his favorite. Minmei adored Kyle and when they were younger she would follow him anywhere.  
  
"Kyle I'm you're only cousin." Minmei began with a giggle, "You still doing your jujitsu?"  
  
Kyle wondered why Minmei was asking him about his martial arts and figured she probably wanted him to help out with the movie. If that was the case then he would be able to keep an eye on her twenty- four seven until the movie was finished.  
  
"Um yeah I'm still practicing it." Kyle said.  
  
"Good because I want you to read this with me." Minmei told him handing him a script.  
  
Kyle looked down at what Minmei had given him. In his hands was a movie script with the words White Dragon written on the cover. The professionally bound script was one hundred and twenty pages full of dialogue and descriptions of fight scenes. Kyle had friends in college who did theater who had asked him to read with them before. He knew what it meant when he was asked that. Someone needed him to help them run lines so they could memorize them for a play they were in.  
  
"I'd be happy to help you learn your lines Minmei." Kyle said with a smile.  
  
Minmei looked at Kyle and began to laugh. He obviously hadn't figured out what she was asking him. Minmei wanted Kyle to try out for the lead role. If Rick wasn't going to do them maybe Kyle would.  
  
"No silly I want you to try out for the movie." Minmei told him still laughing.  
  
Kyle couldn't believe what he was hearing Minmei wanted him to actually be in the movie. And if he was going to be in the movie then he could have more control over Minmei's schedule. Kyle could already tell Minmei was being pulled in a million different directions. Minmei looked tired and ragged and like she hadn't had a descent night's sleep in months. As Kyle considered Minmei's offer the director came back with a look of despair on his face.  
  
"Minmei I don't know what we're going to do about finding a leading man for you." He said.  
  
"Don't worry Mr. Zane Kyle will do it. Won't you Kyle?" Minmei said with big puppy dog eyes.  
  
The director, Mr. Zane, took a look at Kyle and saw he was in the age group they were looking for. Kyle looked to be fit and trim and had the qualities they were looking for. If he could do martial arts then he would be perfect.  
  
"Tell me Kyle can you do martial arts?" Mr. Zane wanted to know.  
  
"I can do jujitsu sir." Kyle told him.  
  
The director was ecstatic at hearing Kyle could do martial arts. Kyle was what he wanted and Mr. Zane was going to turn him into a star.  
  
"Kyle if you don't mind wearing contacts you're in." Mr. Zane told him.  
  
******  
  
Amy Mizuno and Zack Kurata loved their work in the infirmary of the SDF1 and couldn't imagine themselves in any other place. To them this was a dream come true and when they received they papers two months ago making them two of the newest doctors on the SDF1 Amy and Zack were on cloud nine. Becoming a doctor meant more work but Amy and Zack didn't mind it one bit. In fact they loved the work they was doing. They now had their own patients and could see people on a regular basis for simple things such as yearly exams.  
  
The day Amy and Zack received their medical degree they became the personal physicians to three of the Veritech squads on the SDF1. The Skull, Vermilion, and most importantly the Lunar squads saw to it that Amy and Zack were the ones to handle their aches and pains. To Serena it just wouldn't feel right not having them be the ones to take care of her if she had been hurt. Amy and Zack were an important part of the team and Serena was going to keep it that way.  
  
On this particular day Amy and Zack were eating a sandwich from the mess hall while they went over the emergency handbook. The book described the procedures that should be taken in an emergency situation such as a pilot becoming injured during the line of duty. It wasn't the most exciting thing to read during lunch but Amy felt as though they should be prepared in case something like that were to happen while they was on duty in the infirmary. On this day Amy would be glad they had read the book.  
  
"Ugh, do they really expect us to remember military triage procedures?" Zack asked.  
  
"Yes they do. You'll be glad you know this when you get a rush of patients in the infirmary all at once. I was glad I read the book just before we launched two years ago! It helped when I volunteered to take care of all the people from the shelter. This will be my fourth time going over the book!" Amy replied as she took another bite of her sandwich.  
  
"So I guess they're not all that crazy for having us learn all this?" Zack asked.  
  
"Nope sure aren't my ice prince!" Amy said with a grin.  
  
"Oh I see that was for all the times I call you ice princess!" Zack said.  
  
"Sure is love so let's get back to reading shall we?" Amy asked.  
  
"Sure thing love!" Zack said.  
  
******  
  
The news of Minmei doing a movie with actor turned director Billy Zane had everyone talking. Minmei related business was booming once more. Everyone wanted Minmei related paraphernalia and just about every small street vendor carried it. The streets were alive with the sounds of people hawking everything Minmei related. There were Minmei posters, photo books, CDs, pictures, and Minmei dolls. There were dolls of every size and type imaginable. Fashion dolls, plush dolls, key chain dolls, and even little dolls that could walk and sing could be seen everywhere.  
  
Rico, Bron, and Konda were out in the city once more. They had been adapting to life on the SDF1 quite well. For a month now they were learning what Micronian life was all about. They found out that not only did males and females work together they lived together too. They also learned the people in the city were quite different from the people in the military section of the ship. But the one thing they had still yet to learn was that not everything on the ship had a military purpose. Some things in life existed solely to bring joy and pleasure to the world and Minmei was one of those things.  
  
Rico was the first to notice the street vendor selling his wares. The dolls he had were walking around on the ground in front of him and there were still others standing in rows on top of a small collapsible table. The vendor selling the dolls appeared to be Italian in decent and spoke with an accent reminiscent of the Brooklyn burrow of New York City. This particular vendor knew exactly how to sell the Minmei dolls he had.  
  
"Step right up ladies and gentlemen and get your one of a kind walking talking singing Minmei dolls. These dolls sing the smash hit song from Minmei's new album 'Bright Lights'. Be the first in your neighborhood to own one of these limited edition singing Minmei dolls." He called out to the passing pedestrians on the street.  
  
Rico went over to the vendor and looked at the little dolls. They were dressed in a red Chinese style dress. The hair was done to make it look like Minmei's hair from the Miss Macross pageant two buns with braided pigtails. The dolls could walk without singing, sing without walking, or do both at the same time. They didn't sing the entire single from Minmei's album just the chorus. At first Rico was going to buy one because he wanted to see what made it work but when he heard Minmei's voice come out of the little ten-inch doll he had to have one.  
  
"I'll take one of those." He told the vendor.  
  
"Sure thing Mac. That'll be fifteen bucks." The vendor replied with a satisfactory grin.  
  
When the transaction was complete Rico walked back to his fellow Zentreadi spies and showed them the little prize he had procured. Bron and Konda just stared at the tiny version of Minmei in complete and utter confusion. Rico saw their confused looks and decided to clear a few things up for them.  
  
"It's a Minmei doll and it can sing." Rico explained to them.  
  
"What's a Minmei?" Bron asked even more confused than before.  
  
"Must be some new Micronian weapon." Konda surmised.  
  
Whatever the purpose for the Minmei doll was one thing was certain the moment Rico made it sing the Zentreadi spies were hooked.  
  
******  
  
A week had come and gone since Kyle walked onto the set of White Dragon and filming was well under way. Kyle had proclaimed himself Minmei's new manager and took total control of her career. Like the management team made up of the local people of Macross Kyle kept filling Minmei's head full of tales of how she was a big star. But unlike the management team she had Kyle kept Minmei working into the early morning hours. When Minmei wasn't filming the movie she was in the studio working on the soundtrack at night. Kyle had seen to it that Minmei had a luxury suite at the local hotel and was kept busy at all times, Minmei barely slept or even ate. Kyle had told her that big stars needed to look thin in order to stay in the public spotlight. What was happening to Minmei wasn't a pretty sight.  
  
The day everything finally came crashing down on the young starlet Minmei was filming her big dramatic scene in the movie. Kyle didn't like the way it looked or sounded even though the director, Mr. Zane, said Minmei's third take was sheer gold. But after five minutes of arguing Kyle convinced the director to do one more take the way he wanted. It was well past lunch break and the crew had been up for hours and was hungry and cranky and wanted their break. But Kyle wasn't about to let anyone have a break until he saw absolute perfection. That's when it happened, halfway through Minmei's big speech she dropped to the floor from sheer exhaustion, dehydration, and very low blood sugar.  
  
The moment Minmei hit the ground everyone on the set panicked except Kyle. He just stood there while the cast and crew rushed to Minmei's side. One well placed phone call and an ambulance from Macross General was on its way. Ten minutes later the paramedics were on the scene administering procedures to revive her.  
  
While the paramedics were working on Minmei Kyle tried to figure out a way to work his cousin's misfortune to his advantage. Calling the numbers for the newsrooms at the MBS and the Macross Herald Kyle told them Miss Macross had fainted on the set of her new movie and was being taken to the hospital. To Kyle any exposure Minmei could get good or bad was a good thing in his book. After the calls were made Kyle put on his most concerned looking face and went back to where the paramedics were currently treating Minmei.  
  
"Is she going to be alright?" he asked with fake concern.  
  
"I don't know sir. We're going to have to take her in to the hospital." One of the paramedics said.  
  
"I'd like to come along." Kyle told them forcing a few tears into his eyes.  
  
"Are you related to her sir?" the other paramedic asked.  
  
"She's my cousin." Kyle said.  
  
With that said Kyle and the paramedics hopped into the back of the ambulance and headed off towards Macross General. This is just too perfect, Kyle thought as the ambulance pulled away.  
  
******  
  
Three hours after the incident at the movie set Minmei was sitting up in bed smiling and laughing with the reporters and doctors. Kyle was standing in the corner of the room with a scowl on his face. Precious hours had been taken away from the filming of the movie and to top it off other people were telling his Minmei what to do only he was allowed to do that.  
  
"Well gentlemen it's time we let Miss Lynn get some much needed rest. So out you go." Kathy Mizuno told all the reporters with a smile.  
  
The reporters began protesting by saying they wanted a few more minutes with her. They were understanding of the situation but still wanted to make a fuss over Minmei just so they could hear her laugh one more time before they left.  
  
"Out." Kathy repeated pointing her finger at the door.  
  
When the reporters had left the room Kyle came out of his corner and faced Dr. Kathy Mizuno who was giving Minmei some important yet very simple instructions.  
  
"Now I want you to get plenty of rest while you're here and eat every last bite of every meal the nurses give you. And I want you to drink a lot of water too." Kathy instructed.  
  
"Minmei can not stay here any longer doctor." Kyle said in a less than happy tone.  
  
"Listen Mr. Lynn your cousin has been working far too hard. Her body went into shock today which is why she fainted. She's running off of body fat. She's dehydrated, exhausted, and what's worse is her blood sugar levels are very low. If she keeps up with her current pace her liver could become damaged from the low blood sugar levels. I don't want to see a sweet innocent girl like her have major health problems just because you want to finish a movie in under two months. Minmei is staying here in this hospital for the rest of the week. Now I suggest you go home and let Miss Lynn get her rest." Kathy told Kyle looking out for Minmei's well being.  
  
******  
  
Rick had heard like the rest of the ship that Minmei was in the hospital. He knew she would be okay and that the fainting spell was from pulling long hours. He remembered how she fell asleep in the plane the week before and how her eyes looked real puffy and had dark circles. All Minmei needed was a few days of rest and she'd be back to her old self once again.  
  
Rick walked over to the visitor check in desk of Macross General and check himself in.  
  
"I'm here to see Lynn Minmei." He told the receptionist.  
  
"Miss Lynn is room 406." She said as she handed him a visitor's card.  
  
Taking the card Rick headed towards the elevator that would take him to the fourth floor.  
  
Rick stood outside Minmei's room and took a deep breath. Things had been going downhill for him and Minmei ever since the night in the café and with Kyle around it was getting even worse. Clutching onto the small bouquet of flowers he had brought with him Rick opened the door and went in. There sitting up in the bed eating a modest Italian noodle meal with sauce and meatballs and bread was Minmei. A nurse was writing a few things down on a chart she had with her and smiled when she saw Rick come in.  
  
"Rick why are you here?" Minmei with little emotion between bites.  
  
"I wanted to see how you were doing." Rick said trying to salvage their crumbling friendship, "And I wanted to give you these as a get well gift."  
  
Minmei looked at the flowers and frowned. They were too small and plain for her liking and she had expected to get a more expensive gift from him.  
  
"Is that all you have for me?" Minmei demanded.  
  
"Hey you know with my salary I can't afford much in the way of a gift!" Rick tried to explain.  
  
"I'm a big star now Rick and I don't have time to bother with petty little gifts from no talent nobodies who think they can hang all over me just because I'm famous now." Minmei sneered.  
  
"I do not do that!" Rick argued.  
  
Minmei was seeing red and ready to kick Rick out of the room. In her mind nobody dared to yell at a big important star like Lynn Minmei. Her aunt had told her that when you're as famous as she was you always got your way with everything and no one dared to question you.  
  
"Then what about the café Rick?" Minmei demanded to know.  
  
"You left me after you proceeded to yell at me for no reason! I did nothing wrong!" he yelled at her.  
  
"Then what about the rumors floating around the ship that you kissed Commander Lisa Hayes?" Minmei asked using what happened on the Zentreadi ship against Rick.  
  
"She ordered me to do that! What happened is between her and I not you! And besides where did you hear about that anyway?" Rick came back.  
  
"That doesn't matter! What matters is you kissed her not me! I'm more important than she is so you should be paying more attention to me and me alone!" Minmei yelled.  
  
"You've changed Minmei! Ever since your cousin Kyle returned to the SDF1 with us you've changed a lot. I thought I knew you Minmei but I guess I don't! You're beginning to turn into an A class spoiled little bitch!"  
  
"Rick Hunter you can take your sorry excuse of a gift and leave this room right now! I don't EVER want to see you here again!"  
  
"With pleasure, your highness!"  
  
As Rick left the room he heard Minmei utter one final sentence.  
  
"Kyle was right I'm way too important to be dealing with a stupid no nothing pilot. He'll just ruin my career if I'm seen with him! I'll be glad to get out of this place and back to Kyle and our suite!"  
  
Rick couldn't believe what he was hearing Kyle was filling her head with the same nonsense the other people in town were using.  
  
******  
  
Azonia was tired of waiting. The SDF1 had been sitting in the middle of the ocean for over a week now and nothing had happened. The ship hadn't moved and now her patience was growing thin. Something had to be done. And as much as she hated to admit it she would need to send Khyron out on another mission against the SDF1 and the Veritech squads that protected it.  
  
"Miriya get me in contact with Khyron's ship right away." Azonia said.  
  
"Yes Azonia." The green haired Quadrono replied.  
  
A few moments after Azonia's order had been made Khyron's smug face appeared on the view screen. The squad commander had a smirk upon his face and was fingering a crystal glass with red wine in it. After taking a sip of the red liquid he addressed his commanding officer.  
  
"Azonia to what honor do I owe this surprise." Khyron said in his usual smarmy tone of voice.  
  
"Khyron I need you to perform a little task for me." Azonia told him.  
  
"And what would that be?" Khyron asked before taking another sip of the wine.  
  
"I need you to attack the SDF1. But remember I do NOT want you to blow it up. That ship must remain in ONE piece." She told him stressing her point.  
  
Khyron looked disinterested in anything Azonia had to say. But like it or not Khyron had to listen to Azonia since she was in charge of the mission. Khyron knew how to play the hand he was dealt.  
  
"Don't worry Azonia I won't hurt the SDF1, much." Khyron replied with an arrogant smirk; he loved to get his commanding officers riled up.  
  
******  
  
Rick was heading back to the military section of the SDF1 when the alarms started going off. For the first time since the Zentreadi encounter he was going to see some real action again. As Rick headed towards the Prometheus he was knocked over by a blonde, blue, and red blur. Looking up at the jumbled heap on top of him Rick saw his assailant was none other than Lt. Serena Tuskino. Serena turned beet red and became very apologetic the moment their eyes met.  
  
"Sorry Rick I didn't mean to knock you over like that." Serena said almost a mile a minute.  
  
"That's okay. We'd better get going before that sourpuss throws us in the brig." Rick replied in a very understanding tone.  
  
"If that's anything like detention then I don't want that to happen." Serena commented as she popped off Rick and grabbed his wrist.  
  
In no time Serena and Rick were running as though the world was coming to an end. And for all they knew it just might be. Rounding the corner the two Veritech pilots were just in time to catch a transport heading straight for the Prometheus.  
  
******  
  
Azonia watched as the battle unfolded on the large screen before her eyes. Khyron's squad had engaged the micronian ships and was locked in combat. The squad leader himself had decided to hang back and watch the battle take place before rushing into combat. Khyron's men had run into the three top squads the SDF1 had to offer. The Skull squad had been doing a fairly good job of taking out a good portion of the group that had broken off from the main squad. The Lunar squad had been handling things just as well as the Skull squad taking on another chunk of Khyron's men.  
  
The third squadron, the SDF1's Vermilion Squad, was having a harder time trying to deal with the battlepods attacking the ship. One of the fighters was firing aimlessly into the air not contacting with any of the battlepods. Three other fighters were blasting away pod after pod. A fifth fighter was connecting with the pods taking them out with as much ease as the head of the Skull Squad and the entire Lunar Squad. The last fighter was spending all its time trying to rescue the first fighter.  
  
"It's just like Khyron to sit back and let his men do all the work so he can take all the credit." Azonia commented to no one in particular.  
  
"Should I contact Khyron on the communications system Lady Azonia?" Miriya asked.  
  
"Yes get me that lazy good for nothing so called squadron leader." Azonia replied.  
  
Miriya connected with Khyron's battlepod and put the communication onto the main screen of the carrier's bridge. Khyron looked a bit surprised that Azonia wanted to speak with him in the middle of the battle. Breetai had always kept his distance when letting Khyron lead his squad into battle. Azonia however, wanted things to be run her way. Khyron and Azonia were what most humans would call the classic example of the male female power struggle.  
  
"Azonia why do you insist on bothering me during the middle of a battle?" Khyron demanded.  
  
"Khyron you imbecile do you think you can get away with just sitting there while your squadron is getting its ranks severely thinned?" Azonia countered.  
  
"If they can't do their job right then that's their problem." Khyron argued in a bored tone.  
  
"Khyron you get your over inflated ego into that battle and salvage this mission or I will personally serve your head on a platter to Lord Dolza!" Azonia yelled at him.  
  
"You're the boss, Azonia" Khyron sneered back at her.  
  
Khyron then ended the transmission and left to join the rest of his squad in the battle. After going blank for a few moments the main screen in the bridge returned to the battle at hand. Khyron's pod was seen heading off to join the rest of his squad in battle.  
  
******  
  
Rick was having a terrible day. First he found out that Minmei was in the hospital after fainting on the set of her movie and had a major fight with her. Then he was called into battle when the Zentreadi decided to attack for the first time since he and the others had returned from the enemy ship. On the way to the Prometheus he was introduced to the full force of Hurricane Serena when she ran into him making her way to the aircraft carrier. Now he was playing babysitter yet again to Ben while the others in their squad were doing all the work.  
  
The battle was going pretty well with the other squads taking out a large number of the enemy pods. The few pods Rick and the others dealt with were mostly being taken care of by Max, Kevin, Justin and Nathan while Ben was firing aimlessly into the air at anything that didn't look like a fighter jet. Ben kept getting into trouble and Rick kept on having to bail him out. Ben had just gotten out of one scrape with Rick's help when another enemy pod headed in his direction. Rick saw yet another pod headed for Ben and went to rescue his teammate once more.  
  
"Not again. How did this guy make it into the RDF?" Rick moaned.  
  
Rick performed a quick bank to the left and pulled up within firing range of the battlepod. Using his nose mounted lasers Rick took out the pod. When the pod was destroyed Rick called Ben on the open channel the Vermilion squad was using.  
  
"Corporal Dixon I think you'd be better off sticking close to me." Rick said.  
  
"Sure thing lieutenant." Ben replied over the com channel.  
  
Ben was about to pull back and take Rick's wing position on the right when yet another battlepod came racing to their position. The two Veritech pilots were unaware that the pod belonged to the leader of the enemy squad Khyron. Ben caught sight of the pod and tried to take it out but he ended up missing the Zentreadi pod by what seemed a mile. The Zentreadi pilot took advantage of the confusion and fired one of his cannons at the tail of Rick's Veritech taking out one of the tail fins. Then before the young lieutenant could recover from the shot and switch his Veritech to another mode the Zentreadi pilot fired a short range missile at the jets on the back of the fighter. Ben saw the missile heading straight for his commanding officer and tried to warn him while trying to get away from the situation.  
  
"Lieutenant, you've got a missile heading straight for you." Ben tried to warn him.  
  
Rick saw the flashing warning light on his display panel mere seconds before the missile would hit. Using some quick thinking Rick pulled the eject lever on the side of his seat. The force of the ejection racked his body jerking every muscle and bone. When the chute he was wearing had deployed Rick quickly released himself from the harness letting his seat fall to the ocean below. As the seat fell Rick quickly pulled the tab on his life vest to inflate it before he hit the water.  
  
It was looking as though Rick would make it out of the situation with nothing more than a very sore and bruised body when a large chunk of the Veritech fighter exploded in a fiery shower of shrapnel and flames. The shrapnel from the explosion flew all around Rick hitting him in various places. One piece of shrapnel hit him in the left leg while several pieces decided to lodge themselves in his left side and chest. And yet another piece of the shrapnel struck Rick in the head shattering his helmet into a million pieces and causing him to black out. The last thing Rick saw before passing out was the SDF1.  
  
******  
  
The crew of the SDF1 was already in a panic when the Zentreadi squadron began attacking. The bridge crew was scrambling to keep three separate Veritech squads from hitting each other with friendly fire while at the same time trying to protect the people in the city. The well-managed chaos in the bridge soon turned into all out anarchy when one tiny little light of numbers and letters disappeared from Rei's radar screen. But seconds beforehand Rei had another premonition.  
  
"Someone is in terrible danger out there." Rei said as she locked up for a brief moment.  
  
Rei quickly checked her radar screen and watched as the light representing one of the Veritech fighters disappeared from her screen. Quickly checking all the other id lights on her screen Rei realized which one was missing. The Veritech that had been hit belonged to Lt. Rick Hunter.  
  
"Michelle see if you can get Lt. Hunter on the com system." Rei requested.  
  
"I'll see what I can do Rei." Michelle replied.  
  
Michelle searched the com channels for the open channel used by the Vermillion Squad. When she had found it she tried to see if Lt. Hunter's com was still active.  
  
"Lt. Hunter this is the SDF1 if you are receiving please respond." Michelle said into her headset.  
  
Michelle waited for a few moments before trying to reach one of the other members of the Vermillion Squad. Not hearing back from Lt. Hunter had the aqua haired communications officer quite concerned that something may have happened to him.  
  
"Rei who was the last person in the general area of Lt. Hunter?" Michelle asked her friend.  
  
Rei took a look at the radar screen and noticed the id for Corporal Ben Dixon leaving the area where Lt. Hunter was last reported.  
  
"Michelle why don't you try giving Corporal Dixon a call on the com." Rei told her.  
  
Michelle was about to try and reach Corporal Dixon when the pilot in question called the SDF1 sounding very panicked and scared.  
  
"SDF1 this is Corporal Dixon. Corporal's Sterling, Fukada, Sanada, Tanaka and I are flying alone out here. We just lost our C.O. to one of those Zentreadi pods. He ejected from the fighter but I don't know what his status is. All I know is that he's somewhere in the water. It looked like he got hit by a lot of shrapnel." Ben said with obvious fear in his voice.  
  
"Corporal stand by for orders as to where you and the others should go." Michelle replied.  
  
Michelle turned around in her chair to face Lisa and Claudia and ask them what she should tell Ben, Kevin, Justin, Nathan, and Max to do. Lisa was about to say something when Captain Gloval spoke first.  
  
"Michelle have Corporal Nathan Sanada take over command of the Vermillion squad." The captain said as he chewed on his pipe.  
  
"Aye, aye sir I'll get in contact with them right away." She replied.  
  
"Good at the same time I want you to send out the rescue squad Lisa. And I want you to inform the infirmary of the incoming patient Mina." He then told the others.  
  
Michelle pulled up the open channel normally used by the Vermillion Squad and got in touch with the five corporals.  
  
"Vermillion this is the SDF1. Orders from the captain are as follows. Corporal Sanada will be acting commander until Lt. Hunter can return to duty." Michelle told them.  
  
"Roger that SDF1." Nate replied.  
  
Meanwhile, Mina was getting in touch with Amy down in the infirmary.  
  
"Amy it's Mina. Just wanted to give you and Zack the heads up on a patient heading your way. Looks as though Lt. Rick Hunter may have some major injuries. According to his squad Rick got hit by a lot of shrapnel while ejecting from his fighter." Mina said of the ship's com system.  
  
"Roger that Mina. I'll have the rescue team bring the lieutenant to Macross General right away." Amy replied.  
  
******  
  
Hours had passed since Rick Hunter was brought into Macross General. While the infirmary in the military wing of the SDF1 was quite sophisticated it didn't have the necessary equipment to deal with someone in Rick's condition. The fact that Rick was knocked out and barely responding prompted Amy, Zack, her mother, and the other doctors to keep him under the watch of the trained professionals in the ICU. Rick was on the edge of slipping into a coma, something Amy and Zack just didn't have the time and effort to deal with.  
  
Rick was a mess of thread, staples, gauze, wires, and tubes as he lay in the hospital bed. The steady beeping from the heart monitor and the hiss of the oxygen pump filled the room as a tired Amy Mizuno and Zack Kurata tried hard not to fall asleep. They had wanted to be awake when Roy, the closest thing Rick had to family on the SDF1, came to the ICU. They also knew Max, Ben, the other generals, and the Lunar Squad would also be stopping by to check up on their C.O. and good friend. News of Rick's incident had spread real fast in the military section of the ship. Everyone became emotional when one of their own was seriously injured.  
  
Amy and Zack could feel the call of sleep beckoning them to the land of slumber when they felt a couple of hands upon their shoulders. Looking behind them to their left they saw the two most famous couples in the RDF standing behind her. Roy stood there with a pale face that showed every ounce of his fear while Claudia had an arm around his shoulders. Next to them stood Serena and Darien holding onto one another while trying hard not to become too emotional. They could tell both Serena and Roy had a lot on their minds.  
  
Serena had racked her brain ever since she received word of Rick's condition. Serena's initial reaction to the news was to rush off to the hospital and use the Imperium Silver Crystal to heal all of Rick's injuries. But the more she thought about it the more she realized the idea of using the crystal wouldn't be a good idea. She wasn't certain just how ready Roy, Claudia, and the rest of the people on the ship were for the knowledge of the crystal and the existence of the Scouts. Serena knew the timing would have to be right for the Scouts to reveal themselves to the rest of the world.  
  
"How's he doing?" Roy asked as he stared through the glass at Rick.  
  
"The doctors who worked on him said he has some head trauma, a torn left Vastus lateralis muscle in the quadriceps region of the upper leg, a torn external oblique muscle on his left side, some damage to his small intestine, and a torn left bicep. Add to that two cracked ribs, which is making breathing difficult, and a hairline fracture along the right radius bone in the lower arm and Rick is a mess." Amy began.  
  
"The surgical team was able to remove all of the shrapnel from the explosion in his body and repair the damage. However, due to the trauma to the brain the possibility of Rick slipping into a coma is all too real. He's been out ever since the accident. We could have done the surgery at the base hospital but they're better equipped here." Zack added.  
  
Roy understood some of what Amy and Zack were talking about and Claudia understood a bit more. Serena didn't quite understand all of it but she knew it was looking bad for Rick. Out of the four members of the group only Darien understood all of what they were telling them. He was thankful for all the anatomy and biology he had to take as part of his Pre Med. degree in college.  
  
"How long do you think they'll keep him in the ICU?" Darien asked her cutting straight to the chase.  
  
"As soon as the threat of Rick slipping into a coma has passed then the doctors would like to move him to a regular hospital room. We don't know when that might be but we do know that the next ninety-six hours will be very critical. If he doesn't slip into a coma within that time then he'll be able to go to a regular room. Right now it's a round the clock watch on him." Amy replied.  
  
Roy walked over to the large glass window and placed his right hand upon the glass before leaning his head against it. Roy wanted to cry but he didn't want to look weak in front of Claudia. He knew it was a ridiculous idea but after years of service in the military Roy was taught to believe it wasn't right to show emotions in front of fellow pilots. After a few moments of silence Roy felt a soft feminine hand on his right shoulder and a very familiar one upon his left shoulder. Looking to his left and then to his right Roy saw Claudia and Serena standing on either side of him.  
  
"Lt. Commander Fokker you know you don't have to hide your emotions around us. You have people who care very much for you right here with you." Serena told him.  
  
"She's right Roy I'm here for you. We'll get through this together." Claudia added.  
  
Roy felt his body give way and begin to shake as he let go of his emotions and let the tears fall down his face. As the tears continued to fall Roy made a decision that would affect his life for years to come. Roy was going to do whatever it took to get back at the ones who did this to his little buddy.  
  
"I swear those Zentreadi scum will pay with their lives for what they did to Rick." Roy hissed.  
  
******  
  
I just wanted to thank Chibi Halo who helped me figure my way through this chapter! If anyone's noticed yes Chibi Halo's story and my own run parallel to each other so when she comes out with new chapters you can bet soon after I will it is all in trying to figure out how to work in my thoughts. Please R&R! 


	15. Part 14

Disclaimer: I do not now or have I ever owned the characters of Sailor Moon, Robotech. People I want to say something about Miss Lynn Minmei. I don't like her. I like the Rick/Lisa romance and Minmei just gets in the way. So if you like her don't read this, however, if you want to see a new bitchy side to Minmei please enjoy! At first she'll be nice until the Miss Macross pageant then watch out people Rick will leave her in the dust for Lisa don't worry I slowly bring Rick and Lisa together. Again I want to thank Chibi Halo who wrote 'Sailor Moon Macross' without this story wouldn't have existed. As always please R&R this so I know how it is coming across to people! Chibi Halo I would like to know what you think as well! Chibi Halo there might be a few scenes in my story but I pray you won't mind. One more thing for the beginning of the first few chapters I will use your chapter names, I will come up with my own after the last chapter you named. People who haven't read her story yet please do it is a great read! Please enjoy and now on with the story! This is the only Disclaimer I will write! I just wanted to thank Chibi Halo for being my beta reader!  
  
Authors note: When ever I am talking about Kevin, Nathan, Justin and Zack as a group I will refer to them as the four earth generals as that is what they were suppose to be in the manga before Beryl brainwashed them!  
  
Here comes Trista ready or not! Oh and Minmei lovers this is the beginning of the end of her old goody two-shoe days! But if you like Rick/Lisa relationships stick with it we're going to be headed there!  
  
Robotech Warriors Book 1 By thunderbird with Sections From Chibi Halo  
  
Time seemed to pass by very slowly in the ICU of Macross General Hospital. The lone patient lying in the room hooked up to monitors, IV drips, and an oxygen mask was far too young to be in this situation. But the war between the humans and the Zentreadi that had made him an unwilling participant in the beginning and now turned him into the first major casualty of the war. The young pilot had become wounded in battle when trying to keep one of the men under his command from getting hurt himself. The end result was the young pilot becoming severely injured with the threat of slipping into a coma hanging over his head.  
  
People streamed in and out of the ICU checking on the pilot's heart, brainwaves, oxygen levels, medicines, and intravenous fluids. Doctors, nurses, orderlies, and military all came to the ICU to see the young man in the bed. Everyone came except for one young woman, the one person everyone was positive would come running to the hospital and the ICU once news spread he was in there. The only visitors the young man had were two Americans and a small group of Japanese and all of them were in military uniforms. Not a single civilian came to the hospital.  
  
The door to the ICU opened yet again as a young female doctor with dark blue hair dressed in a blue military uniform consisting of navy blue pants with a white stripe down the side and a white button shirt with a single bar upon each point of the collar and a white lab coat over it entered the room. Instead of the usual black military styled boots the doctor wore a pair of black professional style anti static Birkenstock clogs. They were the only pair of its kind at the shoe store in the city and reminded the doctor of the reason she went into the medical field, her mother the pediatrician.  
  
The young doctor picked up the chart at the end of the bed and looked over the last entry made on it. It had been an hour since the pilot was checked on personally by a doctor. And even though she wasn't assigned to Macross General the doctor was the pilot's primary physician and wanted to be there every step of the way during his long recovery. Walking over to every monitor, tube, and wire the doctor wrote down what they said and what she did to them. When she finished her tasks she placed the chart back on the hook at the end of the bed and stood before the pilot for a few moments.  
  
"Rick I hope you can hear me. There are a lot of people out there who want to see you wake up real soon. It's not just the doctors Rick it's your friends too. Serena, Darien, Lita, Nathan and Amara all stop by when they can. Rei, Justin, Mina, Kevin and Michelle come too Rick. But the ones who are here everyday, the ones who desperately want you to wake up, are Roy, Claudia, and most surprisingly Lisa Hayes. As soon as her detail for the day is over she's here waiting for you to wake up. She and Roy come here more than any of them even Claudia. Sometimes they're here twice a day or more. So please wake up for all of us Rick." The doctor said to her friend and patient.  
  
******  
  
Rick Hunter wasn't brain dead, the doctors could attest to that. Every so often when they visited him to check on his progress they noticed his brain working far more than normal for someone who was unconscious. It seemed every so often that Lt. Rick Hunter squad commander of the SDF1's Vermillion Squad would dream. What it was he was dreaming about the doctors would never know and Rick, if he was lucky, would remember every detail.  
  
The dream Rick was experiencing on this particular occasion was a pleasant one. However, unlike the dreams he had been having of winning the championship in the air racing circuit this one took place on the moon. Rick could tell he wasn't at the Tranquility Base on the moon because the landscape was much different. For one thing there weren't supposed to be flowers on the moon let alone an elaborate rose garden. And the moon was supposed to have a dome that led to an underground base not Greek style architecture above ground. Rick also knew for certain that he wasn't supposed to be able to breath without an air helmet on the moon's surface.  
  
Rick took a look at the way he was dressed and noticed that he wasn't wearing his RDF uniform or his normal tan cargo pants with a white t-shirt and dark blue sweater vest with brown Doc Martin boots. Rick was wearing an elaborate military styled uniform. It was white with a collar similar to the traditional RDF Naval dress uniform and had matching pants. Yet over the uniform was a European styled breastplate with shoulder guards in the same white color with gold trim. Attached to the breastplate was a white cape with a golden lining that reached down to his knees. And at his side was an elaborate sword that reminded Rick of the saber the American Marines and Naval officers wore with their dress uniforms.  
  
Heading towards the large palace that seemed to be a combination of the Tajmahal and the Greek Pantheon Rick noticed a large reflecting pool with a fountain in it in front of the palace. Entering the palace Rick seemed to know exactly where to go and headed straight for the large thrown room. Once in the throne room Rick was greeted with the sight of a woman that reminded him of Serena except with silver hair and several others in modified Japanese schoolgirl uniforms standing on either side of her. Four were on the left and four were on the right. Stopping in front of the throne Rick knelt down upon one knee and bowed his head.  
  
"Arise lieutenant." The woman commanded.  
  
Rick returned to his feet and waited for the woman on the throne to speak once more.  
  
"Hunter you are one of the most skilled warriors in the royal army. However, you seem to be having problems with some of the men under your command. You have the potential to be a great leader yet you feel you cannot be hard on the men under you. You need to get over this fear and once you do you'll be able to become the leader you were meant to be." She told him.  
  
"Excuse me ma'am but can you explain why I'm dressed in this white getup?" Rick wondered.  
  
"You are to become a great leader in the royal army of the new government of the Earth in what will become one day Crystal Tokyo. My daughter Serenity has chosen you to help lead the people of the Earth into a new era of peace and prosperity."  
  
"Me but why? All I can do is fly a plane."  
  
"My daughter has her reasons and I trust her judgment. You will know when the time comes why you have been chosen by her."  
  
"So all I have to do is wait and the answers will come to me?"  
  
"As an associate of mine often says only time will tell."  
  
******  
  
Part 14: Big Bother in Trouble  
  
******  
  
Life in Macross City continued to go on despite the fact that one Lt. Rick Hunter was in Intensive Care. The news of Rick being in the hospital was given to Minmei by Kyle who told the messenger that big star didn't need to be bothered with trivial things. And when Minmei heard her cousin tell her what the messenger wanted she just told him Rick could just go to hell. Minmei was slowly shutting out anyone who wasn't connected to the entertainment industry.  
  
Life for the members of the RDF was a different story. With one of their own in the hospital changes were being made to the two top squads in Veritech division of the SDF1. Ben Dixon, whose lack of skill was part of the reason Rick was in the ICU, had been sent to be with the Skull squad. Max Sterling, who was a phenomenal pilot, had been kept with the other three men of the Vermillion squad but they were put with the Lunar squad until Rick was returned to active duty. As for Roy Fokker he was turning into another Lita Kino always wanting the Zentreadi to attack the SDF1 again so he could go out there and end the life of the Zentreadi who put Rick in the ICU.  
  
Serena and the other members of the Lunar Squad did their best to make Max feel welcome along with the three earth generals. Once again Serena enacted operation make a friend. The leader of the Lunar Squad didn't want the rest of her squad thinking of her any differently than they did back in Tokyo. And she didn't want Max to see her as just another lieutenant in the RDF. Serena wanted Max to consider her his friend. It was that philosophy that made the chemistry of the Lunar Squad very good and turned the squad into one of the best on the SDF1 second only to the Skull Squad.  
  
On the command end of spectrum things were no different. Rei, Mina, and Michelle, like most of the command staff, wanted Rick to make a fast recovery. Lisa and Claudia on the other hand were a different story. Claudia was concerned for Rick naturally but she was more concerned for Roy and how he was handling the situation. All Roy could talk about was getting back at the Zentreadi scum that had put Rick in the hospital. For Lisa all she could think about was Rick. She had gone to visit him several times in the hospital and had always left in tears. Lisa didn't want to admit it but the kiss she and Rick shared while on the Zentreadi ship had her questioning her feelings for him. And the recent appearance of Lynn Kyle on the ship had Lisa even more confused about Rick.  
  
Two weeks had come and gone since Rick had been injured in the line of duty and he had yet to come out of the ICU. Claudia arrived on the bridge that morning with a lot on her mind. Even though the SDF1 was still in the middle of the Pacific Ocean that didn't mean the bridge crew could take any time off. There were still a lot of ship wide functions that needed to be monitored as well as the threat of another attack from the Zentreadi. And with Roy bent on revenge Claudia had a lot to deal with.  
  
"Lt. Grant any new news concerning Lt. Hunter?" Michelle asked her.  
  
"According to Roy he still hasn't woken up. The doctors said he hasn't slipped into a coma but they are concerned he hasn't woken up in two weeks. And from what they say he isn't brain dead because every so often his brain waves start going haywire like he's dreaming or something. It would do both of them a world of good if Rick were to wake up." Claudia replied as she logged into her terminal.  
  
"Don't worry lieutenant with Amy and Zack on the job Rick is in good hands. And if Lt. Commander Fokker gets too depressed over this you can always have him talk to Serena." Mina reassured her.  
  
"I just hope Roy doesn't try and do anything stupid." Claudia said to no one in particular.  
  
******  
  
Azonia was livid. Khyron had failed to capture the Micronian ship and ended up loosing a good chunk of his squad. The only good thing to come out of the battle from two weeks ago was the fact that Khyron had managed to take out one of the enemy pilots. No one knew if Khyron had managed to kill the pilot but they did know that the Micronian pilot would be out of commission for quite a long time. And with one less pilot to worry about they could concentrate on the next step in their plans.  
  
"Miriya, it's time to put the next phase in our plan into action." Azonia told her top battlepod pilot.  
  
"And what is that my lady?" Miriya wondered.  
  
"You my dear Miriya shall lead your Quadranos into battle against the SDF1. I can trust you to take out a good number of the enemy craft without damaging the SDF1. We will do what Breetai and Khyron have failed time and time again to do. We will capture the SDF1."  
  
"Begging your pardon my lady but when will I and my squad be allowed to take action against the SDF1? How long before we are able to fight the Micronians?"  
  
"We will wait another seven rises of the sun before attacking. The element of surprise will be on our side. We will give them a false sense of security before taking them on. And when we do victory will be on our side."  
  
"I will not fail you my lady. And unlike Khyron I and my squad will be better prepared."  
  
With the conversation over with Miriya left the bridge to go and prepare her battlepod and the rest of her Quadranos for their first battle with the Micronian forces.  
  
******  
  
Rick was dreaming yet again. This time Rick found himself on top of the conference table inside the Zentreadi command ship. All around him sat the Zentreadi. There was the bald man with the strange plate over his left eye. The slightly smaller man with the orange hair and ashy skin sat next to him. On the other side of the table were three nondescript Zentreadi soldiers. At the head of the table sat what Rick could only figure had to be the leader of the Zentreadi forces. Standing on the table with him were Ben, Serena, Darien, and Lisa.  
  
The dream started right at the point where he and Lisa began arguing with the Zentreadi about how future generations of humans were not created by some strange force but by men and women who love each other. The Zentreadi argued back that there was no such thing as love and that it was a foreign concept to them. Then Ben went and opened his mouth about how men and women in love kissed each other. That started a whole world of trouble and arguments for Rick and Lisa after she volunteered to demonstrate what a kiss really was.  
  
"Alright Lt. Hunter you and I are going to kiss." She said to Rick.  
  
"What? Have you lost your mind? What about Ben or Darien?" Rick replied trying to back out. "I can't kiss Corporal Shields it wouldn't be right. He loves Serena. And as for Corporal Dixon no offense but I couldn't see myself kissing him." Lisa explained.  
  
"Well then why can't Serena and Darien kiss for them?" Rick wanted to know.  
  
"I volunteered to do it. And besides I want to get their reaction on tape." Lisa said.  
  
"You're recording all of this?" Rick asked.  
  
"Yes, that way we'll be able to give our findings to RDF command when return to the Earth."  
  
"If we return at all."  
  
"Look I don't have time to argue about this Rick so just kiss me already."  
  
"Only if it's an order commander."  
  
"If that's the way you want it to be then I order you to kiss me."  
  
Rick sighed and gave in to Lisa's direct order to kiss her. Leaning in close to each other Rick and Lisa placed their lips together and began kissing. Then without even knowing it Rick pulled Lisa into his arms. Lisa instinctively placed her arms around Rick's neck.  
  
The dream should have ended there but Rick's confused mind about how he truly felt added to the dream. Rick then let himself get totally wrapped up in the kiss and began to trace his tongue around Lisa's lips. He could then feel them part slightly and becoming a bit bolder Rick inserted his tongue into Lisa's mouth and began tasting her unique flavor. The dream then ended when Rick could feel a hand around his waist pulling him away from Lisa.  
  
******  
  
Amy and Zack sat in the commissary of the military section of the SDF1 staring at their lunch. they were off duty at the moment and didn't feel like going into town for lunch. The situation with Rick had them both emotionally and physically drained. And the strange brain wave patterns he had been putting out over the last two and a half weeks had them and the neurosurgeons baffled. Usually when a person was in Rick's condition they exhibited some sort of brain activity but never as much activity as he did. Curious as to what was going on with Rick Amy and Zack ran a few scans and compared them to some data in the hospital computers. The brain wave patterns Rick was putting out matched exactly with those taken from a person entering R.E.M. sleep where they had dreams. The answer was as plain as day Rick was dreaming.  
  
With one questioned answered a new one now arose. Why was Rick dreaming? And what was he dreaming of? If, when he woke up, Rick could remember his dreams it would answer a lot of other questions they had like why Rick was out for so long without slipping into a coma. The dreams he was having were going to be the key to understanding what was happening to him.  
  
As Amy and Zack continued to stare at the screens of their palmtops they were joined at their table by five very familiar faces. Rei, Justin, Mina, Kevin, and Michelle were on their lunch break and decided to spend it at the commissary. And when they saw Amy and Zack sitting there hunched over a couple of note pads and their palmtops they decided to join them. Amy and Zack looked up from their work long enough to notice the girls sitting at their table.  
  
"So you two what are you working on?" Mina wondered.  
  
The pair looked up at their friends and fellow Scouts as well as for the four generals with tired baggy eyes that had dark circles around them. The girls could tell from one glance at them that Amy and Zack hadn't slept in close to three days.  
  
"We're trying to figure out why a man in Rick Hunter's condition would be dreaming. And we're still puzzled as to why he's been unconscious for over two weeks." Amy explained in simple Mina terms.  
  
"Yeah We both know he's not unconscious so basically he should be awake!" Zack added.  
  
"Are you sure he's dreaming Amy? I mean people in his situation don't normally have dreams do they?" Rei asked her.  
  
Amy looked down at her notes and then looked up at her friends before answering her.  
  
"I've checked my scans against the typical brain wave scan for someone entering the stage of sleep where dreams normally occur and they are identical to one another." Amy told them.  
  
"Let's say he is dreaming guys. Then what in the world would someone like him be dreaming about?" Michelle asked.  
  
"That's one question only Rick Hunter can answer." Amy replied.  
  
"Yes one that will be very welcomed when it comes!" Zack finished.  
  
******  
  
While the girls and guys were dining with Amy and Zack during their lunch break Serena had decided to go over to the hospital and visit with Rick Hunter. What she didn't know was that one Roy Fokker had also decided to stop by the hospital before taking Claudia out to lunch. It was a ritual Roy did every single day since he was allowed to see Rick in the ICU. Roy would always spend a few moments with Rick before having his lunch or dinner depending on his schedule.  
  
Walking into the ICU Serena saw Claudia waiting on the outside of the room looking through the glass at Roy standing by Rick's bed. Going over to the older woman Serena could see the concern that was written upon her face, concern for the man she loved and concern for the young pilot who was like a brother to him.  
  
"Penny for your thoughts Claudia?" Serena asked using a term she had heard Roy use.  
  
"I'm worried about the both of them Serena. I'm worried that this situation will turn into an obsession for Roy. And I'm worried that Rick may never recover from this." Claudia told her.  
  
"Don't worry Claudia I'm pretty certain both Rick and Roy will come out of this just fine."  
  
Serena then went into the ICU and stopped at the foot of Rick's bed. Rick was allowed to have two visitors in his section of the ICU for no more than ten minutes at a time. And while Roy was sitting by Rick's side Serena was watching the brain wave monitor. The needle on the monitor was going haywire indicating Rick was having yet another dream.  
  
"What is going on inside that mind of yours Rick Hunter?" Serena whispered.  
  
******  
  
Again Rick was dreaming. And again Rick found himself on the moon. Once again Rick was wearing the strange white and gold uniform. Only this time instead of being in the throne room of the palace Rick found himself in a large ballroom. All of the girls he had seen before with the queen were in the room dressed in elaborate gowns of varying designs. Next to them were four of his squad buddies. Off to the side Rick could swear he saw Max standing with a woman that he could some how know her name was Miriya. As he looked around the ballroom Rick saw people from all the planets in the Solar System. Then he saw her but what was Lisa doing here? Rick couldn't figure that out so he decided to ask her later. Looking at them he found himself knowing who each one was and what planet they came from.  
  
Rick's attention was soon diverted away from the people in the ballroom when a loud fanfare was played by a group of trumpeters to Rick's left. Looking to the top of the stairs he was standing on Rick saw the queen he had met before dressed in an elaborate white dress standing next to a man that looked to be an older version of him. And standing with them was who Rick assumed could only be Serena. Rick had seen her look like that when they were in the cell inside the Zentreadi ship.  
  
The trio made their way down to the large landing before stopping to address the gathered crowd of dignitaries and royalty. The queen was the first to speak.  
  
"Welcome one and all. As you know today is a momentous occasion for our family. Today marks the sixteenth birthday for our son Tranquility. It also marks the beginning of a lifelong relationship between the Silver Alliance and the people of the Earth. So tonight is not only a celebration of our son's life but also the celebration of a new era in interplanetary relations. So on behalf of my husband King Solaris of the Sun Kingdom, our daughter Serenity, our son Tranquility, and myself Queen Serenity we welcome you to the Moon Kingdom." The queen said.  
  
"With that said let the festivities begin." The king added.  
  
Somehow Rick knew the queen was referring to him when she mentioned her son just as he knew who everyone in the room was. Looking to the queen only one word came to mind when he saw her, mother. This was his family his mother, father, and older sister. And this was one of the places he called home. Rick was certain of that.  
  
"Mother why can't I stay on the moon longer than four days?" Rick asked the queen.  
  
"Because my son you still have a lot of training ahead of you if you are to take your rightful place at your sister's side. And you still need to find a young lady who will one day become your bride." The queen told Rick.  
  
******  
  
Almost three weeks had passed since Rick hunter was last awake. The doctors were puzzled and Amy and Zack for the first time in their life didn't understand something. Rick wasn't the only one having dreams. Serena had started to have dreams of her life as Serenity on the moon again. But instead of the usual Serenity and Endymion she normally had Serena was dreaming about her younger brother, the brother she had during her first life. Serena was having dreams of her brother Tranquility.  
  
Roy was an emotional mess. With no attacks in almost three weeks Roy was going out of his mind. Lita was the same way but that was normal for her. It was not normal for someone like Roy Fokker. Roy was becoming obsessed with getting his revenge on the Zentreadi. Everyone was worried about Roy and hopped something would bring Rick back to them real soon.  
  
******  
  
Amy and Zack were in the ICU checking up on Rick two days before the three week mark when it happened. Rick was dreaming again but instead of another repeat of the Lisa dream or the moon dream this one was a nightmare. It started off innocently enough with Rick sitting in his plane in the heat of battle. But then Rick got a call for help from Ben. Rick then went to help Ben and got him out of the scrape he was in. Rick tried to go back to the battle but when he did Ben would need help yet again. This kept happening on several occasions. Then on the last occasion Rick saw a pod head straight for Ben. Rick took it out but what he didn't see was the pod heading for him.  
  
"Lieutenant, you've got a missile heading straight for you." Ben tried to warn him.  
  
Everything seemed to happen in slow motion for Rick after that. The missile hit the plane seconds after Rick had ejected. Then while he was inflating his life vest, opening his chute, and separating from his seat the fighter exploded. That was when Rick was hit with several pieces of shrapnel. Rick could feel each and every piece of metal enter his body and tear through his muscles. The pain was unbearable and he was having a hard time breathing. Then another piece of shrapnel hit Rick on the head and he blacked out. Rick could feel himself falling and he could feel his chute give way. That's when his body plummeted to the water bellow.  
  
The moment Rick hit the water he did something he hadn't done before in nearly three weeks, he screamed. The scream was muffled a bit by the mask he wore but it was loud enough to alert Amy and Zack to the fact that Lt. Rick Hunter had finally woken up. Rushing over to Rick's side they could tell he was having a hard time breathing with the mask on and quickly removed it placing Amy's hand over his mouth to quiet him. Looking Rick in the eyes Zack tried to tell him with his body language that everything was going to be okay and that he was safe.  
  
******  
  
Three weeks had come and gone since Khyron's botched mission. Three weeks of letting the Micronians get a false sense of security. Azonia knew the time had come to test out Miriya and the Quadranos in actual combat against the forces of the SDF1. Azonia was bound and determined to show Dolza who the better leader was. Time and time again Breetai had failed to capture the SDF1 and its protoculture. Time and time again Breetai had relied too much on Khyron and his men to get the job done. It was a mistake that had cost the bald Zentreadi his command of the Earth mission.  
  
"Miriya the time has come to launch our attack against the SDF1 and the Micronian forces." Azonia said over the ship's com, "I want that ship captured and in one piece. I will be the one to come out victorious in this campaign not that idiot Khyron."  
  
"We will begin launch procedures right away my lady." Miriya replied.  
  
A few moments later the main screen in the bridge showed the Quadrano squad heading for the SDF1. In a matter of minutes the elite squad of female pilots would engage the enemy and destroy them in an effort to capture the SDF1 for their own. Azonia was positive that nothing would be able to stop her best squad of pod pilots.  
  
******  
  
Roy sat in the ready room constantly on edge. He had been placed on call along with the rest of his squad and the Lunar Squad for the past two days. That meant no time off. All he and the others could do was eat, sleep, and wait. Serena had seen the way Roy was acting and remembered how Lita used to get the same way when they were fighting the Death Busters. Ever since Lita had her heart crystal yanked out of her chest she was constantly waiting for the next battle. Lita wanted to get back at the one who caused her pain. Roy was acting the same way.  
  
Roy was just about ready to get to the point where he wanted to punch someone or something to relieve his pent up frustrations when the sirens sounded throughout the SDF1 announcing the presence of the enemy pods. Looking over at his men and the Lunar Squad he watched them as they scrambled to grab their helmets and put on the rest of their gear. When a squad was on call they had gotten used to wearing their flight suits and leaving their flight gear prepped and ready to put on at moment's notice in a numbered cubby in the ready room. Each pilot had a number and would use that cubby for storing their gear and personal items when on call.  
  
"Finally those low life Zentreadi worm can pay for what they did to Rick." Roy hissed as he went to grab his gear from the number one cubby.  
  
"All right time for a little alien butt kicking!" Lita said excitedly.  
  
"Let's just be careful okay Thunder Heart?" Nathan said over the radio.  
  
"Yes my star crossed lover!" Lita said with a smile.  
  
"I've been looking forward to this for some time." Amara added.  
  
"Max you are about to see just what it is that makes us such a great team." Serena told her temporary squad member.  
  
"Let's plow the road right Nathan?" Justin said laughing.  
  
"Got that right mister pyro!" Nathan laughed back.  
  
"I didn't know you called him that?" Serena asked.  
  
"I remembered that Rei had the same power he did and that you used to call her that so I redid it and there you have the result, Mr. pyro!" He told her.  
  
"Okay guys let's do this for Lt. Hunter!" Kevin said.  
  
"Yeah!" The others said.  
  
******  
  
The battle was going fine with just two squads handling the rather large compliment of Zentreadi pods. The Quadranos were the best female squad in the entire Zentreadi fleet and both Azonia and Miriya were proud of that fact. And it was this pride that pushed Miriya to be the best pilot in the entire female division of the Zentreadi fleet.  
  
Roy had just taken out his fifth pod in fifteen minutes when his warning lights had begun to go haywire. One of the pod pilots had locked onto his fighter and was ready to fire upon him.  
  
"Damn! I've got a boggy on my tail and I need backup fast!" Roy yelled on the open channel.  
  
Max saw the situation with Roy and the Zentreadi and saw that everyone else was tied up at the moment. Deciding something needed to be done Max went to help the lieutenant commander out.  
  
"Lt. Tuskino I'm going to go help out Lt. Commander Fokker." Max told his temporary C.O.  
  
"You do that. The rest of you stay focused." Serena replied.  
  
"Right!" they all said.  
  
With that Max headed off to help the top man in the Veritech fleet.  
  
******  
  
Miriya was having a better time in the battle than the majority of her squad. The top female pod pilot in the Zentreadi fleet was about to take out the top pilot in the RDF. Locking onto the fighter Miriya prepared to take it out. Using her short range cannons Miriya fired upon Skull One. But as she fired at the Veritech fighter a cannon blast hit her pod on the left shoulder making it useless and causing her shot to miss the intended target of the Veritech's engines putting a large hole in the fuel lines and causing it to go out of control heading for the Prometheus.  
  
"Damn you whoever you are." Miriya griped quite annoyed that she was fired upon.  
  
Not wanting to loose her life Miriya made a hasty retreat from the scene of the battle and headed right for the open cargo bay of the SDF1. Right behind her on her tail was the fighter that had fired upon her.  
  
******  
  
Max had witnessed what had happened to Skull One shortly after he fired upon the enemy pod. The main fuel line now had a large hole in it and he suspected that Lt. Commander Fokker wasn't feeling all too good at the moment either the way his fighter was careening towards the Prometheus. Max knew he needed to alert them to the current situation.  
  
"This is Vermillion Two calling the Prometheus." Max said over the open channel.  
  
"Prometheus here go ahead Vermillion Two." The com officer on the carrier replied.  
  
"I just wanted to alert you to the current situation. Skull One has been fired upon and is heading in your direction. I don't think Lt. Commander Fokker is in serious trouble but you may want to get the foam out on the deck."  
  
"Roger that Vermillion Two."  
  
Max then shut logged off the open channel and continued his pursuit of the enemy pod heading straight into the open cargo bay of the SDF1. Using some quick thinking Max switched over to Guardian mode before going inside towards Macross City.  
  
******  
  
Roy felt like his entire body had been hit by a huge truck. He hurt all over and was a giant walking bruise. After waking up in the infirmary and talking with Amy and Zack Roy decided he needed a quiet evening with some friends and loved ones. And after a couple of well placed calls Roy Fokker had a dinner date with Claudia Grant and their friends Serena and Darien at Claudia's place. Roy had arrived at Claudia's door carrying with him his guitar. It was nothing fancy but was just like the acoustic guitar one of his favorite artists Dave Mathews was known to have played. Roy loved to belt out a few good tunes on his guitar and for some reason tonight he wanted to serenade his ladylove before dinner.  
  
Claudia answered the door with a smile on her face. It had been a while since she and Roy had a chance to spend time together and she was looking forward to it.  
  
"Roy you made it." Claudia said, "And I see you brought your guitar with you."  
  
"Yep it's been a while since I serenaded a special someone." Roy replied as he entered the room.  
  
"I just hope you aren't going to play any Dave Mathews Roy. Every time you pull that thing out you have to relive your youth and play Dave Mathews music." Claudia said from the kitchen.  
  
Roy sat down upon the small couch and began messing around with the guitar trying to figure out what he was going to play for her. Then he remembered a tune he liked by a British group that went well on the acoustic guitar. It happened to be the first song he ever played for Claudia and she loved it.  
  
"I think you'll like what I have to play for you." Roy said as he began the song.  
  
Claudia heard the familiar music of the tune 'Sometimes' from her favorite group James back in high school and smiled. Roy was playing and singing better than ever. Claudia could swear he had been working on making the song sound even better just for her. Roy had finished the song and was just starting another tune from the same group when something happened. The pain Roy had been feeling was too much for the pilot and he passed out slumped over his guitar.  
  
Claudia noticed that it had become quiet all of a sudden and went to check on Roy. That's when she noticed him slumped over the guitar passed out.  
  
"Roy, Roy wake up!" Claudia cried out as she went to his side.  
  
When Roy didn't respond to her calls Claudia ran to her com panel in her room and punched the medical emergency button. The lieutenant hoped and prayed that the med. team would reach her quarters in time.  
  
*******  
  
Serena and Darien were on their way to Claudia's when they noticed the mad dash being made by several individuals dressed in white coats and jumpsuits. Two of those individuals were none other than Amy Mizuno and Zack Kurata. Watching her fellow Scout and general and both ship's doctors race past them Serena noticed that they along with the other medical staff were headed to Claudia's quarters.  
  
"Darien something must be wrong with Roy." Serena said to her companion and love.  
  
"Hope it isn't serious." Darien replied.  
  
The young couple picked up their pace and got to Claudia's just in time to see Amy and Zack directing the other members of the med. staff on duty that night to get Roy onto the stretcher they had with them. Stepping out of the way Serena and Darien let the med. staff cart Roy out of Claudia's and down the hall towards the entrance to the city.  
  
"Claudia what happened?" Serena asked as she saw her friend come out of her quarters.  
  
"I don't know. One minute Roy was playing our song on his guitar and the next he passed out." Claudia told them.  
  
"Do you want us to come with you?" Darien asked her.  
  
"Would you." Claudia requested.  
  
"Of course. Anything for a friend." Serena replied.  
  
With that the trio ran off in the direction the med. team had headed and took the nearest lift to the city level of the SDF1. They hoped and prayed that they would make it to the hospital in time before anything happened to Roy. Along the way Serena contacted the others on her communicator.  
  
******  
  
Roy was worse off than anyone had first thought and now Amy and Zack were kicking themselves in the behind, so to speak, for not noticing it when they had first examined him earlier that afternoon in the infirmary. The incident with the Zentreadi pilot had caused more damage than they originally thought. Roy had internal damage and now he was bleeding on the inside. The surgeons along with Amy's mother at Macross General were trying desperately to save the life of one of the RDF's finest pilots. It was slow going at first but they hoped they would be able to stop the bleeding and the hemorrhaging on the brain that had caused him to black out.  
  
While the doctors worked on Roy Claudia, Serena, Darien, Amy, and Zack waited for any news on his progress. And while they waited for the surgeons Max, Lisa, and the rest of the Scouts along with the other generals arrived at the hospital to see how Claudia and Lt. Commander Fokker were doing.  
  
"I can't believe I didn't see it when he was in the infirmary." Amy said.  
  
"Amy you're not the only one who missed it!" Zack said.  
  
"Guys not every doctor is going to be able to spot something like that when they first see a patient." Darien told them recalling his pre med. classes.  
  
"And besides it's not your fault this happened lieutenant. If anyone is to blame it's that Zentreadi pilot I chased through Macross City this afternoon." Max added.  
  
"Thanks guys!" Amy and Zack both said together.  
  
It was then that the lead surgeon Kathy Mizuno came out of the operating room to talk with Roy's closest family and that meant Claudia. The group noticed she had a grim look upon her face and looked as though she needed a decision to a major problem made very soon.  
  
"Who here besides my daughter and her friends is related to Lt. Commander Fokker?" Kathy Mizuno asked.  
  
Claudia stood up to talk to Kathy.  
  
"Roy doesn't have any family on the ship but I'm his fiancé Claudia Grant if that will help." She told her.  
  
"With our current situation you're the closest thing to family he has." She replied.  
  
"How is he?"  
  
"As we speak they're transferring him to the ICU. He had some severe internal bleeding and some hemorrhaging on the brain. We did what we could but it looks bad. Without the machines he won't be able to survive. Ms. Grant Lt. Commander Fokker is a vegetable right now and will be for the rest of his life if he's left on the machines. That's no life for him. We strongly suggest letting him die a peaceful death by taking him off the machines keeping him alive. This is your call Ms. Grant." Kathy answered with a sad face.  
  
"I think I need some time to make this decision doctor. And I'd like to see Roy."  
  
"I can take you to the ICU and give you an hour with him. Once that hour is up I will want a decision. I just hope you'll make the right one for him." Kathy told her.  
  
The group gathered in the waiting room looked over at Claudia and saw the expression on her face as Kathy Mizuno explained Roy's situation. They knew Claudia was going to need them now more than ever and they could tell that Claudia had very hard decision to make ahead of her. Claudia looked over at the group of friends with sad scared eyes that begged them not to leave her to make the decision on her own.  
  
"Can my friends over there come with me to see Roy? I think I need to talk this over with them before giving you my decision." Claudia wanted to know.  
  
"Of course they can. You're going to need all the support in the world right now." Kathy replied proud of her daughter and her friends for the help they were giving to Claudia.  
  
******  
  
There was not a dry eye in the ICU that night. Even the toughest members of the group cried for the man lying in the bed hooked up to the machines. Sixteen members of the group had been in the ICU within the past few weeks to visit another person close to them but they didn't cry then. Sure they felt for him but they weren't brought to tears when they saw him in the exact same bed. This time it was different, this time it was Lt. Commander Roy Fokker the man who had changed each and every one of the lives present in the room that night.  
  
As Claudia Grant sat next to Roy Fokker with her hand clasped around one of Roy's the others gathered in the ICU were discussing what should be done about the dark blonde man lying in the bed. There were arguments on both sides of the coin by almost every member of the group. Those who had studied medicine felt Claudia should tell the doctors to pull the plug as did her closest friend on the SDF1. Those with a bit more hope and optimism in their hearts felt a miracle would occur and save the life of Roy Fokker. And then there was Serena who was very silent during their discussion.  
  
From the moment she saw Roy Fokker lying in the bed hooked up to the machinery Serena was struggling with her own decision, the decision whether or not to use the crystal to save Roy's life. If Serena saved Roy's life she would be deciding to make the knowledge of the Scouts public to the Captain and the rest of the RDF members on the SDF1. So far on the entire ship only three people knew of her secret and one of them was in the ICU with her. Looking back and forth between Roy and Claudia and the Scouts, the Generals, Darien, Lisa, and Max Serena made her decision and announced it to everyone present.  
  
"Lt. Commander Roy Fokker will not die on this day. I will not allow it." Serena said sounding a lot like Princess Serenity.  
  
"Serena what are you saying?" Mina wondered.  
  
"I have come to a decision. I am going to do what Amy's mother and the other doctors can not do and heal Lt. Commander Fokker. I'm going to have need for him in the future and he has a promise to fulfill." Serena replied.  
  
"Promise what promise?" Rei wanted to know.  
  
"Are you sure Serena?" Kevin added.  
  
"Yeah this is a beg decision!" Nathan put in.  
  
"Besides what about Luna won't she be mad?" Justin added.  
  
"I'm certain Darien and Lita remember what Lt. Commander Fokker told us on that first day we were a part of the Skull Squad nearly two years ago. He promised every member of that squad that as long as we served together on the SDF1 we would make it through our time together alive. I intend to hold him to that promise. And to do that I am going to use my crystal to heal him." Serena explained.  
  
"Serena are you sure about this if you use to much power?" Amy and Zack said.  
  
The Scouts and Generals looked at each other when they heard Serena's decision. They knew what it meant for her to use the crystal Serena would be putting her own life on the line. Lisa who knew what Serena was and had seen her crystal while in the Zentreadi holding cell wondered what it would be able to do for her best friend's fiancé. Claudia and Max on the other hand just looked at Serena as though she had lost it.  
  
"I don't mean to be rude Lt. Tuskino but how can a crystal save the life of Lt. Commander Fokker?" Max asked voicing the question that was not only on his mind but also Claudia's.  
  
Serena pulled out her henshin locket and summoned the crystal within before her showing it to Claudia and Max.  
  
"This crystal carries within it a great power. It has been handed down from generation to generation within my family always from mother to daughter. My mother wielded it before me and now I wield the power of the Imperium Silver Crystal." Serena said in a voice that sounded so unlike her own, "This crystal is the greatest treasure of my people, the Lunarians. But to use its power is to risk your life. My mother died using this crystal to send my Scouts, my beloved, his men, and me to a better life in the future. I have had to use the full power of the crystal on three separate occasions. The first time I used it I died but was given my life back by the power of the crystal. The second time I was merely drained of most of my energy. And the third time I used it I almost lost my life but in the end I and my Scouts somehow survived."  
  
"Who or what are you?" Claudia wondered.  
  
"In this life you know me as Lt. Serena Tuskino Veritech fighter pilot and commanding officer of the Lunar Squad. Before joining the Robotech Defense Force I was known to many as Sailor Moon protector of this world. But I once was and will forever be Princess Serenity heir to the crown of the Lunarian Kingdom of the White Moon High Princess of the Silver Alliance and future ruler of the Second Coming of the great Silver Millennium. Before you Doctor Kathy Mizuno, Commander Lisa Hayes, Lt. Claudia Grant, and Corporal Maximillion Sterling stand the Earth Prince, his Generals, and my Scouts." Serena explained, "The commander knows of us for I have revealed myself to her during our time on the Zentreadi ship and Lt. Commander Fokker has some suspicions that we exist after meeting one of my advisors, my lunar feline Luna. The time has come to make my existence known to the rest of the military here on board the SDF1."  
  
Claudia looked at Serena differently now. Before she had seen a competent pilot and good friend now she saw an elegant and strong leader with a great power flowing through her. Serena seemed like an entirely different person to her now.  
  
"Hotaru I will need you by my side in case using the crystal becomes too much for me. Darien I would like to have you ready just in case I should pass out from healing Lt. Commander Fokker. The rest of you stand back from the bed, that goes for you too Lt. Grant." Serena said as she got into position next to Roy's bed.  
  
Serena held the crystal between her outstretched hands over Roy's body and closed her eyes. On either side of her behind Serena stood Hotaru and Darien ready to help her if using the crystal became too much for her. Concentrating all her energy into the crystal Serena began the healing process. When her energy was at its peak Serena opened her eyes and called forth the magic of the crystal to heal Roy's body.  
  
"Moon Healing Activation!" Serena called out.  
  
The crystal between Serena's hands began to pulsate and glow with life as its magic began to heal Roy's body. The light from the crystal began to increase in strength becoming increasingly brighter as time passed. The light then seemed to travel into Roy's body working its magic upon his internal injuries to repair them. After what seemed like an eternity but was only ten minutes in reality Serena pulled the crystal away from Roy's body. The small crowd gathered in the room could see beads of sweat forming on Serena's brow as she turned to face them.  
  
"Lt. Commander Fokker will not die. Yet he will not be waking up anytime soon. I healed what I could but the rest is up to him. The internal injuries threatening his life are no longer a cause for concern. Lt. Commander Fokker was and still is in a coma. Waking up from that coma will be his job to do and not mine. When the doctor returns you can tell him that somehow Lt. Commander Fokker will be able to live. After all Lt. Commander Fokker has done for my friends and me this was the least I could do for him." Serena told everyone.  
  
Claudia came over to Serena with tears of joy upon her face. Even though Roy was in a coma knowing that he wasn't about to die made her feel ten times better than when she first came to the hospital with Serena and Darien. Roy Fokker's life and destiny had been changed forever.  
  
TBC  
  
Please R&R! Part 15 coming soon! 


	16. Part 15

Disclaimer: I do not now or have I ever owned the characters of Sailor Moon, Robotech. People I want to say something about Miss Lynn Minmei. I don't like her. I like the Rick/Lisa romance and Minmei just gets in the way. So if you like her don't read this, however, if you want to see a new bitchy side to Minmei please enjoy! At first she'll be nice until the Miss Macross pageant then watch out people Rick will leave her in the dust for Lisa don't worry I slowly bring Rick and Lisa together. Again I want to thank Chibi Halo who wrote 'Sailor Moon Macross' without this story wouldn't have existed. As always please R&R this so I know how it is coming across to people! Chibi Halo I would like to know what you think as well! Chibi Halo there might be a few scenes in my story but I pray you won't mind. One more thing for the beginning of the first few chapters I will use your chapter names, I will come up with my own after the last chapter you named. People who haven't read her story yet please do it is a great read! Please enjoy and now on with the story! This is the only Disclaimer I will write! I just wanted to thank Chibi Halo for being my beta reader!  
  
Authors note: When ever I am talking about Kevin, Nathan, Justin and Zack as a group I will refer to them as the four earth generals as that is what they were suppose to be in the manga before Beryl brainwashed them!  
  
Here comes Trista ready or not! Oh and Minmei lovers this is the beginning of the end of her old goody two-shoe days! But if you like Rick/Lisa relationships stick with it we're going to be headed there!  
  
Robotech Warriors Book 1 By thunderbird with Sections From Chibi Halo  
  
The private hospital room was modestly decorated with cream colored curtains, matching blinds, a soft easy chair, and an area rug under the chair. Next to the hospital bed was a small wooden night stand with two small drawers and a phone and clock radio on top. Across from the bed was an armoire with two drawers in the bottom and a TV and DVD player in the cabinet section in the same wood as the night stand. All in all it was a modest room with a nice view of the park.  
  
The occupant of the room had oddly enough requested that the gift shop send up a notebook and a pen. He had a lot on his mind and needed to write it down before he completely forgot it. As he wrote down another page of memories a commercial for the local shoe store ended giving way to the voice of the afternoon disk jockey.  
  
"You're listening to MBS Four Hits of the Seventies, Eighties, and Nineties. Coming up next the commercial free Solid Gold Lunch featuring hits from the Seventies." The British DJ said, "We'll start things off with a two spot from today's featured artist Andy Gibb with 'Don't Throw it All Away' and 'I Want to Be Your Everything'."  
  
The soft song from the youngest of the Gibb brothers began playing over the radio. The words seemed to strike a chord with the patient in the bed. The girl he thought he had feelings for had just yanked his heart out some time ago. She's probably still working on that crazy movie of hers and has forgotten all about me by now, he thought, which is a good think after what she told me! Placing the pen down he listened to the last few repeats of the chorus feeling betrayed by the first girl he really thought he cared for. As one song ended the next one began with a more upbeat disco type tempo.  
  
The vocals to the song got underway as the door to the room opened. The patient expected to see the nurse come in with lunch for him but instead he saw someone he didn't think would visit him. There heading towards him as the song continued was his commanding officer and head of the bridge crew, Lisa Hayes. In her hands was a fairly good sized bouquet of flowers. As the song continued the two military officers stared at one another until it finished. The patient reached over to the table in front of him and grabbed the remote for the radio and turned it off before addressing Lisa.  
  
"Commander Hayes what brings you here?" he asked her.  
  
"I wanted to see how you were doing and to bring you some news Rick." Lisa replied.  
  
Rick looked at Lisa with great curiosity. He then took a quick glance down at his notebook and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw he had been writing about the moon dreams and not the Lisa dreams he had been having. Looking back up at Lisa Rick gave her a small smile that showed he was happy she came to visit him. She was the first person outside of the doctors and nurses to see him since he woke up.  
  
"So commander what did you need to tell me?" Rick asked.  
  
"Please call me Lisa when we're not on duty Rick." She replied making an honest effort to be his friend at the moment.  
  
"Okay Lisa what did you want to tell me?"  
  
"Two days ago Roy Fokker's fighter Skull One was fired upon by a Zentreadi pod during battle. Fortunately one of your squad members Corporal Max Sterling was able to fire upon the pod so the damage to the fighter would be minimal. The fighter damage was lessened but not the damage to Roy. He had internal injuries that weren't detected at first that caused problems later on that day. Roy was rushed here and operated on. It looked bleak for him at first when the doctor told Claudia that Roy may never recover from being a vegetable and should be unhooked from the machines and allowed to die. But Serena Tuskino wouldn't hear of it. She did something with that crystal of hers and saved Roy. He won't die but right now he's in a coma. Serena and the others say Roy was an emotional wreck up until that battle. I guess seeing you lying in the ICU because of the Zentreadi had him both angry and sad."  
  
Rick took in the information Lisa had told him and allowed it to sink in. Roy, the man he idolized, was lying in a bed in the ICU stuck in a coma because of the Zentreadi. And if it hadn't been for Serena and that crystal she had shown them when the Zentreadi held them captive Roy would have been dead at the moment. Roy was like family to him and Rick didn't know what he would do if he were to lose him for good. Right now all Rick wanted to be well enough so the doctors would allow him to see Roy.  
  
"Thanks for telling me Lisa." Rick said before noticing the flowers, "Say Lisa what are those for?"  
  
"I thought your room could use a little color other than the off white the hospital likes to use for their regular rooms." Lisa replied with a small smile.  
  
"Thanks this room is a bit bland. Tell me has anyone mentioned Minmei coming to see me at all while I was in the ICU?"  
  
"No, no one has said anything about Minmei visiting you in the hospital."  
  
Rick let out a breathe of air as he realized that, that meant Minmei and he were over. Lisa saw the change of emotion on the face of the young pilot and decided to stick around for a while. Pulling up one of the leather and steal visitor's chairs in the room Lisa sat down next to Rick's bed and began asking him all about his relationship with Roy Fokker and his life before coming to the SDF1.  
  
********  
  
To say Miriya Piryno was angry was like saying the Zentreadi fleet only consisted of twenty ships, it was a vast understatement. Miriya Piryno was livid. She had been fired upon twice in one battle by the same micronian pilot. The mystery pilot had managed to take out both of her pod's arms making them unusable by frying the shoulder joints and circuits. Miriya remembered one thing from the battle, the words the pilot had spoken to her before she decided to head back to Azonia's command ship.  
  
"You're a good pilot. Probably one of the best I've ever faced. I look forward to meeting you in battle again." He had told her over an open channel she had stumbled across on her com system.  
  
The micronian had complemented Miriya on her skill as a battlepod pilot while he was trying to take her out. The micronian confused and intrigued her while making her want to kill him for beating her in battle. Yes Miriya Piryno wanted to do battle with the micronian again but this time she wanted to do it on her terms and on his ship. Miriya wanted to go to the SDF1 to kill the micronian with her own two hands. With a small smile on her lips Miriya headed off to speak to Azonia.  
  
"I will have my revenge on you micronian. No one beats Miriya Piryno in combat and lives to tell about it, no one." Miriya vowed.  
  
********  
  
Minmei was a mess, not appearance wise or even emotionally but physically. The young starlet was drained of her energy just like Molly after an attack by one of the Dark Kingdom generals. Minmei was literally crawling into the bed in the hotel suite she shared with Kyle. The clock on the radio sitting on the nightstand read twenty minutes after two in the morning. Minmei knew she would only be getting at the most two hours of sleep. She needed to be up at half past four so she could head back to the set by five to be in makeup for another long day of filming.  
  
Minmei hated the long hours but Kyle had told her it was necessary if they wanted to finish the movie in the time he stated. From day one of the filming Kyle had wormed his way into every aspect of the filming process. He had become a member of the production team, the right hand man to the director, and the number one assistant to the cameraman. And with being on the screen as well Kyle had his hand all over the movie. However, Kyle didn't stop there.  
  
Four days after his arrival upon the SDF1 Kyle sat down with Minmei's agent and proceeded to fire him. No one was going to be telling his cousin what to do. Kyle wanted complete and total control of everything Minmei did and that included telling her when she woke up, ate, and slept. And Kyle kept Minmei very busy. After they were through filming for the day Kyle made Minmei record the soundtrack to the movie they were filming usually going into the wee hours of the morning. Kyle had told the producer that he was no longer needed and took over production of the album himself.  
  
As Minmei drifted off for her quick two-hour nap Kyle stood in the doorway to her room in the suite. The moonlight hit his face revealing a sinister smirk upon his face. Kyle wanted one thing and one thing only, Minmei. At first Kyle saw Minmei as an end to a means in order to get his point across about how politically wrong the war with the Zentreadi was. Now he was obsessed with Minmei and the position she had on the ship. Kyle could care less about the war as long as he had her for himself and no military pilot was going to stand in his way of obtaining the ultimate goal. It was the reason why Kyle had changed the message from the RDF that Rick Hunter was injured in battle over three weeks ago.  
  
"The longer she's away from him the faster she'll stop idolizing him and the sooner she'll be totally devoted to me and only me." Kyle said before letting loose a sinister laugh.  
  
******  
  
Part 15: Recovery, Revenge, and Revelations  
  
******  
  
Serena sat on the edge of her bed in her quarters her heart shaped locket resting in her hands. The room had a western flair to it like all the other rooms. It was a small room large enough to house a western style bed, a small western style bathroom with an all too tiny shower, two chairs and a tiny table, a small couch, a very small closet, and a kitchenette with a tiny fridge, a couple of cabinets and a small stove burner for cooking. It wasn't as big as the rooms Claudia and Michelle, Amara, and Hotaru had but to Serena it was home and had been for just under two years now. Serena originally had the day off and wanted to spend it with Darien at the park because the others were scheduled to be on duty. But now with Roy alive and in the hospital in a coma because of what she herself had done Serena's day off changed into a meeting with Captain Henry Gloval and the other high ranking RDF officials on the SDF1.  
  
Serena continued to hold the locket fingering each of the colored gems on the golden heart shaped cover. Each stone represented a Scout nine in all. On either side of the heart near the bottom were two white wings made of a pear-like stone. Fingering the crescent at the bottom of the locket Serena spotted the catch that held it closed and pushed it in opening it. There in the center of the locket lay the Imperium Silver Crystal. The light in the room was caught by each facet of the crystal and began to sparkle. Serena continued to look at the crystal for a few moments before letting out a soft sigh.  
  
"Mother, am I doing the right thing?" Serena said softly to the crystal.  
  
Serena felt the soft patter of feet upon the bed and looked over at Luna who had seated herself next to the blonde pilot. Luna could tell that Serena had a lot on her mind what with both Rick and Roy in the hospital. The lunar feline wondered if Serena was ready for the consequences of her decision and what it would mean for the Scouts.  
  
"Serena are you sure you want to go through with this?" Luna asked her.  
  
"I believe the time is right for this Luna. I've talked to Darien and he agrees with me. And we are prepared for what may be said and for what will come because of this. After what happened with Lt. Commander Fokker there are going to be many questions concerning what exactly happened to him. And we would rather answer them sooner than later." Serena replied as she closed the locket and stood up.  
  
Serena went to her small closet and pulled out a perfectly pressed jacket. The jacket was white with a double-breasted design in a deep open neck trimmed in the same blue as Serena's Scout uniform. The pants Serena wore had the same blue trim. The shirt to her uniform was the same dark shade of pink as the boots she wore when Sailor Moon. Her boots were the standard black military boot given to all members of the military.  
  
Serena put on her uniform jacket and buttoned it. She then gave her boots a quick once over to make certain they were polished enough. When her uniform had passed her personal inspection Serena gathered the manila folder with copies of the profiles and information for each and every Scout, General, and Tuxedo Mask and then turned to face Luna.  
  
"Luna the captain and the other RDF officials might be better convinced if you and Artemis were to join Darien and me at the meeting. Mina is on duty today but she gave me her room code because I had asked her if it was okay to speak with him today. She is under the impression we'll be in her room for a while. The others know I'm going to tell the RDF about us they just don't know that day is today." Serena said.  
  
"Serena as your advisor and friend I'd be happy to assist you." Luna replied.  
  
"Thank you Luna you don't know what this means to me."  
  
Grabbing her military id from the small table Serena exited the room with Luna close behind. And after a quick stop at Mina's to get Artemis before meeting up with Darien, Serena would face the toughest challenge since joining the RDF, proving the existence of the Sailor Scouts.  
  
********  
  
Lisa wanted to see Rick again and for a very good reason. She was falling for him. Lisa didn't know if it was Rick himself or the man that looked so much like Rick in her dream. Ever since she found out Rick had been in the hospital Lisa started to have strange dreams. Some of them were memories of the last time she and Carl were together and some of them were of the kiss she and Rick shared in the Zentreadi command ship. Lisa began to wonder if her mind was running away with her after waking up from that particular dream. Then there was the dream that had her wanting to see Rick as much as she could.  
  
Lisa was on the moon she was certain of that. But this wasn't Tranquility Base. Lisa had found herself in an elaborate garden wearing what looked to be a cross between of the armor she remembered seeing in a TV show called Xena when she was younger and the movie Gladiator. At her side was an elaborate staff with a nice little blade at the top and spear tip at the bottom. For some reason Lisa felt totally comfortable holding the weapon. Her hair was not styled the way she normally kept it. Instead of falling to her shoulders with curls at the bottom Lisa's hair was up in a high ponytail.  
  
As Lisa continued to wait in the garden she noticed a young man walk up to her wearing what appeared to be white European styled armor trimmed in gold over what reminded her of the officer's dress uniform her father wore when he was a part of the United States Navy. Looking at the man Lisa saw a strong resemblance to Rick Hunter. In fact, he was a dead ringer for Rick. Lisa smiled at him when he placed his arms around her waist.  
  
"It's been a while since we last saw one another hasn't it?" he asked her.  
  
"You know both my father and your mother have me busy as of late trying to get information on the rebel uprisings taking place on Earth Tranquility." Lisa replied.  
  
"Athena you know how important the dialogue between the Alliance and the Earth is to our parents that's why mother insists the Dragoon Commander herself be involved in the recon missions."  
  
"I realize that, which is why I was called before the members of the Alliance today."  
  
It was at that point when a young woman dressed in a simple white ancient Greek styled dress came to the garden. Lisa knew she was there to inform her that the meeting of the Alliance would soon be under way and that she would need to get back to the palace.  
  
"Princess Athena Her Majesty has asked me to inform you that the meeting of the Alliance will be starting soon. The Alliance members look forward to hearing your report on you latest mission to Earth. And you sister Princess Juno Scout of Jupiter will be there as well." The young woman told her.  
  
"I'll be at the council chamber shortly." Lisa replied before turning her attention back to Rick, "Meet me after the meeting outside the chamber. I wish to spend more time with you before returning to my duties. I don't know how long I'll be at the palace and I want to make every moment we have together count."  
  
"As do I Athena." Rick replied as he pulled her even closer to him.  
  
Rick wasn't certain if this would be their last few moments together before Lisa had to head off for her next mission and wanted something to remember her by. Leaning close to her Rick captured Lisa's lips in a kiss. Lisa responded to the kiss and opened her mouth slightly inviting him inside. Rick wasted no time and explored the inner workings of her mouth with his tongue. After a few minutes of kissing Rick and Lisa parted and gave each other one final small peck before Lisa headed off to the palace for the Alliance meeting.  
  
"I love you my beautiful Amazon." Rick said to Lisa's retreating form.  
  
"I love you too my brave handsome Sun God. Lisa called back to Rick.  
  
It was then that the dream ended and Lisa would wake up. Lisa began to wonder if the man in the dream really was Rick or if he was a different person who happened to look like him. Either way she was in love with him.  
  
********  
  
Captain Henry Gloval had received the report on the latest battle with the Zentreadi and looked it over very carefully. The report from the fighter groups had been submitted by Lt. Serena Tuskino, a second class lieutenant in the RDF, since the second in command of the air group was out of commission for a while. The report had mentioned what had happened to Lt. Commander Roy Fokker and what Corporal Max Sterling had done in the line of duty to save Roy's life. But then she mentioned what had happened after the battle had taken place.  
  
The captain read on as the report detailed what had happened in Claudia's quarters without going into detail about the date. It then mentioned how the doctors at Macross General tried to stop the internal bleeding and brain hemorrhage. The doctors were not very hopeful about Roy's chances of recovering after the surgery was finished. The report was all pretty standard up until then. It was the next part that had Henry Gloval questioning everything he knew and believed in. The report mentioned that with her own two hands and a power only she possessed Lt. Serena Tuskino had saved the life of Lt. Commander Roy Fokker. The captain then read the last few lines of the report several times to see if what he saw really was written down on the paper.  
  
The Zentreadi are not the only alien force in the galaxy to have attacked the Earth. There are other alien forces in the Milky Way Galaxy. And there are alien forces from within this very star system that have formed an alliance with the ruling power on the Earth. The human race is not the only ones fighting against the Zentreadi forces. It is because of the recent dealings with the Zentreadi that a third party involved in the war with the Zentreadi make itself known and that my human ally and I formally request a meeting with you and the other members of the RDF command on the SDF1.  
  
Captain Gloval granted the request of the young lieutenant curious as to what she had to tell him and the other members of the RDF command upon the SDF1. So far the only aliens they had dealt with were on the average at least thirty feet in height. And if there had been alien attacks upon the Earth before the Zentreadi first attacked Gloval wondered why the RDF command hadn't known about them. Taking a glance at his watch Captain Gloval grabbed the report and left his office for the meeting.  
  
********  
  
Rick Hunter looked over at the flowers sitting in the vase one of the nurses got for him from the gift shop. The simple colors of yellow, blue, purple, white, and orange sat amongst leaves of green giving the room the much needed color Lisa Hayes had said it needed. Lisa, Rick tried to remember when he stopped thinking of her as Commander Hayes and started thinking of her simply as Lisa. Sure she was a bit older than him but that didn't matter. If Serena Tuskino and Darien Shields could be a couple then he and Lisa could become a couple. But the question running through Rick's head at the moment was did he really want to pursue a relationship with Lisa.  
  
Rick didn't have a lot of visitors to his room. Some of the guys from his squad had stopped by to check up on him and let him know how they were doing. Claudia would come by after spending time with Roy looking tired and emotionally drained. Serena, Amy and Zack stopped by a couple of times to talk to Rick about the dreams he had been having. Rick found their visits strange. Amy and Zack had told Rick they had compared his brainwave activity to that of someone in R.E.M. sleep and came to the conclusion he had to be dreaming. They treated the visit almost like an experiment. Serena on the other hand came into the room and flat out told Rick she knew he was dreaming and exactly what he had been dreaming of. She knew exactly who and what Rick really was. She knew Rick was a reincarnated prince from two long dead kingdoms and her baby brother.  
  
Then there was Lisa. Lisa had come to the hospital every day since Rick had been moved to the private room. At first Rick thought Lisa had wanted to try and establish a friendship with him, but the twenty-six-year-old commander wanted more than just a friendship she wanted to explore a romantic relationship with him. Rick began to notice Lisa doing certain things while in his room. She would always make certain Rick was comfortable and had enough liquids to drink. Lisa would also bring in movies for them to watch from the hospital's patient DVD rental service on a few occasions. She would sit and listen to the radio with him. And Lisa would just spend time talking with Rick.  
  
Rick had learned Lisa came from a military family and had moved on several occasions before settling near Oceana, Virginia. He found out that Lisa's most favorite food in the entire world was German chocolate cake. She had told Rick it was something her grandmother used to make whenever her mother's family gathered together. Rick also learned that he and Lisa liked the same radio station in town and that one of their favorite groups was also the same, they had a love for Bee Gees music. Lisa said she had seen 'Saturday Night Fever' with a friend as a child and fell in love with the music while Rick said his mother played their albums all the time when he was younger. And Rick learned that Lisa was having strange dreams at night ever since his accident.  
  
Lisa's dreams, like Rick's, covered a wide range of topics. She had dreamed about the time they kissed and relived the moment she had seen Rick in the hospital for the first time. There were dreams where she and Rick were becoming romantic on the grounds of a strange castle on the moon. In those she was wearing an elaborate gown and Rick was dressed in some odd looking white and gold armor. And Lisa was dreaming of a sister she knew she never had. Lisa was back on the moon and she was with a brunette who was older than her by six minutes. And what was weirder was the fact that everyone was calling Lisa princess. That was when Rick showed her his notebook.  
  
Rick looked over at the clock on the radio and took note of the time. Lisa would be getting off duty soon and would be coming for her daily visit. Rick smiled at the thought of Lisa coming. He couldn't wait to see her again.  
  
********  
  
Serena, Darien, Luna, and Artemis stood before the collected members of the RDF Command on board the SDF1. Before them seated behind a large bench was Captain Gloval, Captain Belmont, Colonel Mulistad, Admiral Franks from the Prometheus, and Admiral Cortez from the Dadelous along with Ambassador Torres from the United Earth Government. But the one person that shocked Serena as to being there was her father Captain Kenji Tuskino. Captain Gloval, the commander of the battle group, cleared his throat and addressed the odd quartet.  
  
"Now then Lt. Tuskino if you are ready we can begin this meeting you requested." The captain said.  
  
Serena got a serious yet serene look upon her face before addressing the gathered senior officers and officials.  
  
"Captain Gloval, Captain Tuskino, Ambassador Torres, members of the Robotech Defense Force Command I stand here before you today not as a pilot in the Robotech Defense Force or even a citizen of Macross City but as the representative of a third power now involved in the war with the Zentreadi. My people and I have been involved in this war from the very beginning but it wasn't until recently that we made ourselves known to members of the bridge staff and pilots from the SDF1." Serena began.  
  
"As you know recently the Zentreadi attacked the SDF1 yet again. But unlike their prior attacks where we have had very little threat to any human life on board the SDF1 this time we were not so lucky. This time one of the senior flight staff on board the SDF1was fired upon by the enemy. As the reports you have received from the medical staff and from me had indicated Lt. Commander Fokker was on the verge of death. I took it upon myself to save the life of Roy Fokker using the greatest power known to my people, the Silver Imperium Crystal."  
  
Serena then pulled out her Eternal Moon Locket and opened the cover revealing the crystal to the members of the RDF gathered before her. The military and government officials looked at the crystal wondering how such a tiny thing could heal a person.  
  
"Are we to believe that little bauble saved the life of one of the top pilots in the RDF?" Mulistad asked quite skeptical about anything new he heard and saw.  
  
"Yes Colonel this crystal has the power to heal and the power to defend. The Silver Imperium Crystal has been handed down from one generation to the next in my family. It is the source for the power of the Lunar Kingdom of the White Moon. With it I am able to protect the people of my kingdom. But use of the crystal comes with a great price. The crystal feeds off the energy of the person using it. The more energy you put into the crystal the greater its power will be. Use too much energy and you could die."  
  
"Young lady what is all this about?" Serena's father asked shocked out of his mind.  
  
"Captain please allow your daughter to explain herself!" Gloval said.  
  
"Sorry! Go ahead Lt.!" Kenji said looking at Serena and the others.  
  
"Yes sir!" Serena said.  
  
********  
  
Miriya made her way from the hanger to the bridge of the command ship. She wanted to speak to Azonia about going through the micronization process and going onto the SDF1. The squad commander wasn't certain how Azonia would react to her decision. Ever since battle with the micronian pilot Miriya only wanted one thing, to have the micronian die by her own hand. Walking into the bridge Miriya saw Azonia going over the battle plan for their next attack.  
  
"Lady Azonia I formally request to speak with you." Miriya said.  
  
"You may speak Miriya." Azonia replied without looking up from her screen.  
  
"It's about the last battle I was in. I was defeated in combat by a micronian. I have never been defeated before. It made me feel things I have never felt before. I want revenge upon the micronian that defeated me."  
  
"And how do you plan on finding this micronian pilot?"  
  
"I will go into the chamber and become a micronian. Then I will sneak onto the SDF1 and search for the micronian pilot. And when I find him I will kill him with my own two hands."  
  
"How do you know this pilot is a male?"  
  
"He spoke to me over the radio before I left the inside of the SDF1."  
  
Miriya's battle with the Micronian had revealed a lot to the Zentreadi. While she may not have been victorious in battle the Zentreadi learned from her battle. They learned that the SDF1 was harboring some sort of Micronian buildings and many Micronians on the inside. It was all the more reason that the Zentreadi wanted to capture the SDF1. They wanted the secrets the Micronians held within the battlecruiser. They wanted the Protoculture contained within. And while Miriya spoke openly about the battle she had yet to mention the fact that one of the Micronian pilots had spoken to her, until now.  
  
"Request to go into the chamber has been granted." Azonia said after taking in what Miriya had told her about the battle.  
  
Miriya had a rush of unknown feelings enter her body. For the first time in her life Miriya Pirynia was happy. And for the first time in her life Miriya smiled.  
  
********  
  
The RDF commanding officers sat there listening to all Serena had to tell them. They were intrigued that they had never heard of the kingdom she spoke of. They began to wonder just who in the RDF on board the SDF1 was connected with Serena and her companion Darien Shields. And they wondered how Corporal Shields fit into the bigger picture Serena was painting. The ambassador and the other members of the RDF Command wanted answers. Captain Gloval just wanted to satisfy his growing curiosity on the situation.  
  
"Tell me lieutenant why were we at the United Earth Government never informed of this kingdom which you speak of?" Ambassador Torres wanted to know.  
  
"Simple ambassador I had yet to know about the Lunar Kingdom of the White Moon until nine years ago. It was then that I had awoken to who and what I truly was. It was then that I met Luna one of my advisors and guardian. It was then that I became Sailor Moon. Then a few months later I found out that I was the long lost princess and heir to the throne of the Lunar Kingdom and high princess of the great Silver Alliance of the Silver Millennium." Serena explained.  
  
"You don't mean the Sailor Moon that was featured in the pages of the world's tabloid papers along with the Sailor Scouts?" Captain Belmont asked her.  
  
"Yes captain I am that Sailor Moon." She replied.  
  
"Any relation to Sailor V who protected the streets of London?" he wondered.  
  
"Sailor V just happened to be the first identity of the commander of my inner guard Sailor Venus." Usagi told him.  
  
"Lt. Tuskino exactly what are the Sailor Scouts and the Lunar Kingdom of the White Moon?" Admiral Franks asked her quite skeptical.  
  
"Luna would you and Artemis be so kind as to answer the Admiral." Serena requested.  
  
"Certainly Serena." Luna replied.  
  
The admiral and the other gathered members of the RDF Command stared down at the black cat standing to the right of Serena. The cat at first appeared to be a normal average everyday cat with an odd looking crescent shaped birthmark upon her forehead. But when the cat spoke it took everyone by surprise. Even Serena's own father was flabbergasted. He didn't know what was going on but he was bound and determined to get answers later with the young woman in front of him.  
  
"The Lunar Kingdom was a kingdom that existed over one thousand years ago upon your moon. During that time all the planets in the Sol system were inhabited by a great civilization. Even the sun had kingdom upon it. And each civilization save for the Earth and the Sun had a representative that were members of a great council known as the Silver Alliance. These representatives were the princesses of their respective planets and were the protectors of the high princess known as the Sailor Scouts." Luna began.  
  
"The ruler of the Lunar Kingdom and the head of the Silver Alliance was Queen Serenity. Queen Serenity was married to King Solaris of the Sol Kingdom and they had a daughter named Serenity who was the High Princess and a son named Tranquility who was the heir to the throne of the Sol Kingdom. The Earth at that time was ruled by King Endymion I and Queen Gaia who had a son Prince Endymion II. Luna and I are what as known as lunar felines and were the advisors to Queen Serenity. The Silver Alliance and the Earth Kingdom were to be united through the marriage of Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion." Artemis added.  
  
"It seemed everything was going well until a rebel faction from the Earth influenced by an evil entity from a realm known as the Dark Kingdom attacked the high kingdom of the Earth and then proceeded to attack the Lunar Kingdom. The Scouts tried to defend the Lunar Kingdom against their strongest soldiers who turned out to be the brainwashed Lovers of the Scouts the generals but they ended up loosing their lives. Prince Endymion met up with the leader of the rebels a woman named Queen Beryl and ended up loosing his life when he refused to join her cause. Princess Serenity seeing her beloved dead by the hand of Beryl took her own life with the Lunar Sword. By this time all seemed grim for the Lunar Kingdom. With the Scouts, the Generals who were found dead outside the border of the palace, Endymion, and her children dead at the hands of Beryl and her men Queen Serenity did the one thing she knew would defeat Queen Beryl and her soldiers. Serenity used the power of the Silver Imperium Crystal to seal away Beryl and her soldiers. But this act had left Serenity on the verge of death. Artemis and I knew her time would soon be at an end. And with the last few ounces of her strength and energy Serenity sent her children, the Scouts, the generals and Prince Endymion to the future in order to have a second chance at life. Those Scouts, the Generals and the Princess and Prince are now here on board the SDF1." Luna concluded.  
  
The members of the RDF Command took a few minutes to take in everything they had heard. At first they didn't know if they could believe what they were being told but then Luna and Artemis had spoken to them and what they were being told now seemed believable. It was strange but believable.  
  
********  
  
Claudia sat in the chair next to the bed Roy was lying in. Oddly enough the bed happened to be the same one Rick Hunter was in three weeks and three days prior. Dr. Kathy Mizuno had told Claudia that Roy was a very lucky man even if he was currently in a coma. Roy could have been brain dead and a vegetable or worse Roy could have been dead. Claudia silently thanked Serena Tuskino for saving Roy's life. She may not have understood what Serena had done but she was thankful she did it.  
  
Kathy had told Claudia that it might help Roy recover faster if she talked to him. At first Claudia felt a little weird talking to Roy. But then she started to feel better talking to him. She recounted the events that took place during the day and the latest gossip handed to her by Mina. Talking to Roy soon became therapeutic to her.  
  
"Roy, Lisa tells me Rick is doing a lot better. She's been visiting him a lot since he woke up. But it appears his relationship with Minmei is over. She hasn't visited him once since he entered the hospital. The doctors sent over a message to the movie set where she's been filming but she must not want to see Rick anymore because she didn't even send as much as a single flower to Rick. It has to be that new manager she has. Word has it he's been pulling her in several directions at one time and controlling all aspects of her daily schedule. She barely even sees her family anymore Roy. Maybe Rick is better off not trying to salvage their relationship. Maybe it's time for Rick to move on." Claudia told Roy hoping he could hear her.  
  
********  
  
The director had called for a lunch break on the set of White Dragon. The schedule for the day had Kyle rescuing the heroine from the antagonist's base and receiving a big long lip lock from her. Kyle and Minmei had practiced a fake theater kiss and could hold that for almost three minutes before needing to come up for air. But for Kyle the staged theater kiss wasn't enough for him. He wanted more. Kyle wanted to give Minmei a real kiss and not just any kiss. Kyle wanted to give Minmei a passion filled kiss that explored the inner workings of her mouth. Minmei had never received a real kiss from a boy before and Kyle wanted to be her first. It would be something Rick had never done with her.  
  
Kyle knew they had to get the kiss just right in order to please the crowd. For days they had been practicing the theater kiss and even though it was satisfactory for the director it wasn't satisfactory for Kyle. Kyle was going to use their lunch period to rehearse the kiss one more time and this time he was going to make it a real kiss.  
  
"Minmei I think we need to work on our kiss one more time before we film it this afternoon." Kyle said with a small smile.  
  
Minmei in all her trusting nature wondered if she was doing something wrong on her end of the kiss and wanted to do whatever Kyle told her in order to make it believable for the camera.  
  
"This kiss is important to the story so it should be just right. If you think we need to work on it again then let's do it." Minmei replied.  
  
Kyle took Minmei into his arms and held her close to his body. Keeping his left arm around her waist Kyle then brought his right hand up to Minmei's cheek and guided her head to the right. When her head was tilted just right Kyle leaned in and kissed Minmei. At first Minmei thought they were running through the theater kiss and kept her mouth closed and flimsy. But when Kyle opened his mouth and used his tongue to trace Minmei's lips Minmei opened her mouth in surprise. That was when Kyle took advantage of the situation and placed his tongue into her mouth. Minmei was scared when Kyle began moving his tongue inside her mouth. After a few moments of wondering what to do Minmei let her instincts take over and returned Kyle's kiss with as much passion as he put into his end of the kiss.  
  
"Kyle that was amazing. I've never done anything like that before." Minmei commented.  
  
"You know I would only do that would some one I truly loved. And I love you Minmei." Kyle replied trying to pull Minmei deeper under his control.  
  
"Can we do that one more time? I don't think I did that right." Minmei asked Kyle.  
  
Kyle let a small sinister smirk creep across his face when he heard Minmei's question. The overly trusting beauty queen and recording star was craving the new feelings the kiss had shown her. Kyle knew his plan was working perfectly. Minmei was very close to being his and only his.  
  
********  
  
The members of the RDF Command blinked as they continued to stare at the two cats. For the longest period of time no one said a thing. They knew Serena was connected to the Lunar Kingdom of the White Moon and that the cats were her advisors but they had no idea how Darien Shields was connected to the Lunar Kingdom. They wanted to know whom each of the Scouts, Generals and who ever else onboard were and what they did on board the SDF1. They wanted answers and they were willingly going to get them. Even Kenji wanted to know what Darien had to do with Serena.  
  
"Lt. Tuskino your advisors said that the reborn members of the Silver Alliance and the Earth Prince were here on the SDF1. Can you tell us who they are?" Admiral Cortez wanted to know.  
  
"Of course I can Admiral. In fact, I've prepared a list of who my inner and outer guard members are. As well as for the generals!" Serena replied as she handed the stack of papers to Captain Gloval.  
  
The captain began handing out the papers to the other members of the RDF Command. The high ranking members of the RDF read over the information and began to wonder what that had to do with Serena's story.  
  
"If you will follow along on the sheets Captain Gloval has passed out I will describe to you each member of the alliance in the order they were awoken again to who they truly were. The first is Sailor Mercury the Scout of Wisdom and Ice. Mercury's main attack is a blast of near freezing water known as the Aqua Rhapsody. Mercury is the tactical officer of the Scout using her Mercury Computer and Virtual Visor to scan and analyze any situation we find ourselves in. When not in Scout guise Mercury is better known as Dr. Amy Mizuno a lieutenant in the Robotech Defense Force stationed here upon the SDF1." Serena began.  
  
"The next Scouts is Sailor Mars Scout of War and Fire. Mars's main attack is an arrow of fire known as the Flame Sniper. Mars is the spiritual officer of the Scout using her connection to the fires of Mars and the Sacred Shinto Fire of the Hikawa-jin Shrine to predict who our enemies may be and when they attack. When not in Scout guise Mars is better known as Corporal Rei Hino Shinto Miko and radar officer in the Robotech Defense Force here upon the SDF1."  
  
"The third Scouts to awaken was Sailor Jupiter the Scout of Protection and Nature. Her main attack a blast of electrified oak leaves is known as the Oak Revolution. Jupiter is considered the strength of the inner guard and one of my most loyal Scout. When not in Scout guise Jupiter is known as Corporal Lita Kino Veritech Fighter pilot in the Robotech Defense Force and a member of the Lunar Squad assigned to the SDF1."  
  
"The last of the inner guard is Sailor Venus the Scout of Light and Love. Venus is the commander of the Sailor Scout and often referred to as the Goddess of Love. Venus's main attack is an energy attack known as the Love and Beauty Shock. Venus, before joining up with the rest of the inner guard, was also known as Sailor V. When not in Scout guise Venus is known as Corporal Mina Aino member of the Robotech Defense Force and the helm officer for the SDF1."  
  
"I myself was the next to awaken to who I truly was. Up until that time I was and still am Sailor Moon Scout of Love and Justice. My main attack is an energy attack known as the Silver Moon Crystal Kiss, which is performed using the Moon Tier. I also have the ability to become whomever I choose using the power of the Disguise Pen. When I awoke to my true destiny I also became Princess Serenity of the Lunar Kingdom of the White Moon. In this form as well as my Sailor Moon form I can use the Silver Imperium Crystal to attack and to heal. When not in Scout guise or Princess Serenity I am Lt. Serena Tuskino a Veritech fighter pilot in the Robotech Defense Force and commanding officer of the Lunar Squad assigned to the SDF1."  
  
********  
  
Lisa couldn't wait to see Rick again. It was strange how she had stopped thinking of him as Lt. Hunter when not on duty and just Rick. At first she thought it was because they were developing a strong bond as friends. But then she told him about her dreams. And when she mentioned she was having ones involving him on the grounds of some strange looking castle Rick pulled out a notebook she had seen him writing in on a few occasions. She thought the notebook was simply a journal or just something to write things that popped into his down upon but she soon learned that Rick had been writing down the dreams he had been having at night and during the nearly three weeks he was unconscious.  
  
Lisa learned a lot from reading his dreams and from hearing about the visits Serena had made to the hospital to see him. It seemed Rick's dreams were in reality memories of a long ago time where he was Serena's younger brother and the heir to a long forgotten kingdom on the sun. She in return began to understand all the references in her dreams and deduced that she was in reality the reincarnated princess of a kingdom of Amazon warriors that had inhabited the planet Jupiter. Lisa learned that she too had a sister who was older than her but only by a few minutes. Her sister was given the title of Sailor Jupiter and heir to the throne while Lisa was trained to be the head of an elite group of warriors from Jupiter known as the Dragoons.  
  
The Dragoons were military for life and were in service to the Silver Alliance. They were responsible for a good portion of the intelligence gathering and covert operations for the Silver Alliance. And there was no Dragoon like Athena daughter to Zeus King of Jupiter. Athena was, like the rest of the people of Jupiter, and Amazon warrior. She was strong and intelligent with a good head on her shoulders. And Athena had a very loving heart. It was no wonder that she captured the heart of the young prince of the Sun and Moon Tranquility. They were made for each other even if she was a few years older at the time. Nothing, except a Dragoon mission, could keep them away from one another.  
  
And now that Lisa understood who she once was she was determined to be by Rick's side as he recovered from his injuries. Getting off the elevator on Rick's floor Lisa walked down the hall to the room assigned to him. Once again the radio was playing and this time the local entertainment news on MBS Four was playing. The popular rumor floating around town was that Lynn Minmei was involved with her co-star Lynn Kyle. Before the report had even ended Rick changed the station to MBS Five, which happened to be playing an updated version of an old ABBA tune.  
  
"Lisa you came." Rick said when he saw his fellow officer and good friend.  
  
"With everyone busy today I knew you'd want some company so I decided to come and see you again." Lisa replied.  
  
Rick knew Lisa would come whether he had other visitors or not. For some reason he hadn't quite figured out yet Lisa wanted to be with him as much as she could.  
  
"You just wanted to spend time with me Lisa. Admit it." Rick said with a grin.  
  
"You got me there Rick. I enjoy our little visits together." Lisa replied.  
  
And with that she proceeded to fill Rick in on the latest news floating around the military section of the SDF1.  
  
********  
  
Azonia led the squad leader to the micronization chamber. Miriya was about to undergo the same process Ricco, Bron, and Konda underwent just before they were deposited onto the SDF1. Stepping inside the chamber Miriya waited for Azonia to begin the process. This was what the Quadrano wanted. This would allow her to get revenge upon the micronian that beat her in combat.  
  
"Miriya you will hear a slight hissing noise and see some steam as the micronization takes place. That is normal for the process. When the procedure is over I will personally bring you over to the SDF1 in a pod similar to the one used to transport the three spies. You will do your duty and then report back to me. Understood?" Azonia said.  
  
"Yes my lady." Miriya replied just before the door to the chamber closed.  
  
Just as Azonia said there was a loud hissing noise followed by a cloud of steam that filled the room. Fifteen long minutes later the steam stopped and the door to the chamber opened letting out a much smaller Miriya. The now micronian Zentreadi was naked and in need of proper clothing for her size. Azonia had prepared for this moment and had s special fight suit made for her. It was a little on the large side but Miriya didn't complain for she knew this was the only suit that was remotely close to fitting her.  
  
"Now then my tiny Zentreadi it's time for the next phase in our plan." Azonia said as she picked up the micronian Miriya.  
  
********  
  
Serena took a small break in her explanation before continuing on. The focus of her explanation was about to change from the inner guard to the outer guard.  
  
"Unlike the inner guard the outer guard did not directly protect the crown. Instead they protected the solar system itself. It was their job to make certain no evil entered into our star system. The first of the outer guard we encountered was Sailor Uranus the Scout of Strength and Wind. Uranus's main attack is a sphere of wind based energy that can tare through the earth known as the World Shaking. Along with the energy attack Uranus also holds the Space Sword and can perform the Space Sword Blaster a more physical attack. The Space Sword is one of the three sacred talismans of the Silver Alliance. When not in Scout guise Uranus is known as Corporal Amara Ten'ou Veritech former race car driver and fighter pilot and member of the Lunar Squad assigned to the SDF1." Serena continued.  
  
"The next Scout is Uranus's partner Sailor Neptune the Scout of Elegance and Water. Neptune's main attack is an energy sphere with the power of the sea known as the Deep Submerge. Neptune also possesses a talisman, the Deep Aqua Mirror. With this mirror Neptune can see a person's true nature and glimpses of what may come. When not in her Scout guise Neptune is known as Corporal Michelle Kaiou former concert violinist and a communications officer in the Robotech Defense Force on the bridge of the SDF1.  
  
"The third member of the outer guard is Sailor Pluto Scout of Darkness and Time. Sailor Pluto is one of two Scouts given a power that does not follow the power of her patron world. Sailor Pluto's main attack however does follow the power of her world and is known as the Dead Scream. Sailor Pluto possesses the last of the talismans the Garnet Orb which rests upon the time staff which is the symbol of her position as guardian of the Gates of Time. When not in her Scout guise Pluto is known as Trista Meiou a fashion designer from Tokyo who currently resides in Macross City."  
  
"The final Scout to awaken is Sailor Saturn the Scout of Death and Rebirth. Sailor Saturn has several attacks and carries with her a weapon known as a glaive. Her main attack is a pure energy attack known as the Silence Glaive Surprise. The next attack is her most deadly attack known as the Death Ribbon Revolution. And finally she can also create a barrier with her glaive known as the Silence Wall. When not in Scout guise Saturn is the foster daughter of Amara and Michelle living in the crew quarters of the SDF1 Hotaru Tomoe and is endowed with a healing touch. Hotaru is the youngest of the Scout at seventeen. But the Scouts are not the only ones from the Silver Alliance on the SDF1. We have reason to believe that there may be one or more members of the Silver Alliance yet to discover whom they truly are. As for the Earth Kingdom I'll let Darien Shields deal with that one." Serena finished.  
  
Darien cleared his throat before beginning his half of the explanations. There was a lot to tell them about the Earth at the time of the Silver Millennium.  
  
"Thank you Serena. Captains, Members of the RDF Command as you know I am Corporal Darien Shields a member of the Veritech Fighter squad the Lunar Squad. But before joining the military like Serena, I had several identities. I was first known as Tuxedo Mask ally to the Scouts and protector of Sailor Moon. At the same time Serena awoke to her destiny as Princess Serenity I found out that I was in reality Prince Endymion heir to the throne of the Earth. For a period of time after that I had lost all knowledge of who I truly was and a part of me was going around as the mysterious Moonlight Knight. I also hold in my possession the great power of the Earth Kingdom the Golden Crystal. We have yet to unlock all its secrets but it does allow me some limited healing abilities." Darien began.  
  
"Now then the four generals that were brought into the present with us were recaptured shortly after our foes from the Dark Kingdom escaped. Queen Beryl quickly re-brainwashed them and set them against us. As time went on we slowly but surly killed them without knowing who they were! After beating Queen Beryl the Generals were restored to their rightful selves. They then re-met and fell in love with their respected scouts all over again!"  
  
"The first of my Generals to rejoin my ranks was Kunzite General of Love and Peace. He is the general of the eastern lands. He carries the Sword of Love and Justice. When he was brainwashed he used twin dark blades. As his true self he attacks using the Heart control wave. With this attack he can control our enemies and hold them off until Serena heals them. When not in his General guise Kunzite is known as Corporal Kevin Fukada one of the pilots for the Vermillion squad."  
  
"The second of my Generals to rejoin my ranks was Nephrite General of Thunder and strength. He is the general of the western lands. He carries the sword of Thunder and Lightening. When he was brainwashed he mostly used the stars to attack. As his true self he attacks using the attack Thunder destroyer. He could wipe out a whole army if need be. When no in your general guise Nephrite is known as Corporal Nathan Sanada one of the pilots for the Vermillion squad."  
  
"The third of my Generals to rejoin my ranks was Jadite General of Fire and heat. He is the general of the southern lands. He carries the sword of Fire and life. When he was brainwashed he mostly used dark energy to attack. As his true self he attacks using the attack burning lava flow. He could wipe out a whole army if need be. When no in the general guise Jadite is known as Corporal Justin Tanaka one of the pilots for the Vermillion squad."  
  
"The last of my Generals to rejoin my ranks was Zoisite General of Ice and water. He is the general of the northern lands. He carries the sword of Water and life. When he was brainwashed he mostly used the flower petals to attack. As his true self he attacks using the attack Tsunami wave. He could wipe out a whole army if need be. When no in your general guise Zoisite is known as Corporal Zack Kurata a doctor on board this ship."  
  
"We have seen to it that these four men will never have to lift a hand to their love one any longer. Serena was put in a block that will keep any and all evil out of their minds!" Darien finished.  
  
When Darien had finished his explanation the captains and the other members of the RDF Command huddled together to discuss all that they had heard from Serena and her companions.  
  
********  
  
Ricco, Bron, and Konda hadn't checked in with the Zentreadi command in quite some time. It had been at least three months since they last spoke with Lord Breetai or their squad commander Khyron. They knew they had to report in and let their commanding officers know exactly what they had found out while on board the SDF1. Making their way through the city the spies headed back to the location of the pod they first came to the SDF1 in. And when they had reached the pod Ricco, who had taken charge of the mission, tried to get in contact with either Khyron or Lady Azonia.  
  
"This is Ricco calling Lady Azonia." Ricco said over a secure com channel.  
  
"I am receiving your transmission report in spy." Azonia replied.  
  
"My fellow spies and I have gathered a lot of data on the Micronians as well as physical evidence to show to Lord Breetai and the others. What is our next course of action my lady?"  
  
"I have recently received word from Lord Dolza that Breetai will be returning to this section of the galaxy to personally hear your report on the Micronians. You three are to return to Breetai's command ship when it joins the rest of the fleet here in the micronian star system."  
  
"When will that be?"  
  
"You have two weeks to gather all your evidence before returning to Breetai's ship."  
  
"Yes my lady."  
  
With that said Ricco turned off the radio and faced his fellow spies.  
  
"Well it looks like we're going to be returning to Lord Breetai's command ship in three days." Ricco told them.  
  
"I don't want to leave. Not without being able to see the Minmei movie coming out soon." Bron complained.  
  
"You know Lord Dolza. If he wants a report on a mission then he gets that report. There's no saying no to him." Bron reminded them.  
  
Sad over having to leave the three Zentreadi spies left the pod to return to their room at the local hotel in town. It was a cheap place to stay and they were the only guests there at the moment. The spies loved it and every moment they spent in Macross since discovering Minmei.  
  
********  
  
The members of the RDF Command broke their huddle and turned to face Serena and Darien. While what they had heard was an incredible tale they weren't certain how true most of it was. The RDF command members needed proof that what they had just heard was the truth. They couldn't believe that a good number of their ranks were all reincarnated royalty and soldiers from well over a thousand years ago.  
  
"Lt. Tuskino while we don't doubt that your tale is a fascinating one we would like evidence that it is a true one." Captain Belmont said.  
  
"If you can show us how you become Sailor Moon it would be greatly appreciated." Captain Gloval added.  
  
"If that is what you wish then I'll be more than happy to oblige." Serena replied.  
  
Raising her locket above her head Serena called forth the words that would activate her transformation into Sailor Moon.  
  
"Moon Eternal Power!" Usagi called out.  
  
Soon the room was filled with a bright light and Serena began to change before their very eyes. When the light died down Serena stood before them as Sailor Moon dressed in her eternal form. And while the members of the RDF Command were fixated on Serena's transformation they didn't notice Darien pull out a rose and change into Tuxedo Mask at the same time.  
  
"So everything you said is true." Captain Belmont commented after he noticed Tuxedo Mask.  
  
"But what about being the princess and prince you mentioned?" Admiral Franks wondered.  
  
"We can show you that as well admiral." Serena replied.  
  
With that Serena concentrated upon her crystal and was engulfed in a bright light. When the light died down she stood there before the members of the RDF Command as Princess Serenity. A few moments later Darien felt himself change over into Prince Endymion proving that what they had told them was true. The members of the RDF had their proof.  
  
"This certainly adds a new wrinkle to things." Admiral Cortez commented.  
  
"At least we know we have allies willing to help us defend our world." Colonel Mulistad said.  
  
"This explains a lot about what has been said and happened on the bridge since we launched the SDF1." Captain Gloval added beginning to see his bridge crew in a different light.  
  
"Yes it puts everything in a new light Gloval." Ambassador Torres said, "Thank you for your time and for explaining this to us. And when we can return to normal society we'll consider presenting this to the United Earth Government and the RDF Command. Until then we'll continue to have the relationship with your people that we already have."  
  
"Thank you sirs!" Serena said.  
  
As they were about to leave Serena's father walked up to her.  
  
"Serena I believe we need to talk about this with your mother and brother! After all he is dating your friend Hotaru!" Kenji said.  
  
"Yes dad we'll be there!" She said and headed off.  
  
********  
  
Time marches on yet again and things were trying to get back to normal on board the SDF1. Nearly three and a half months after touching down in the Pacific ocean in the exact same spot where Macross Island once stood three events took place each one of them unnoticed by the civilians on board the massive ship. First the three Zentreadi spies that had become more faces in the crowd had left to return to one of the command ships they reported to. Second, a new face had slipped onto the SDF1 under the cover of darkness and blended into the city of Macross. Ace pilot Miriya Piryno had become a citizen of Macross City. Third, Serena and Darien explained everything to Serena's parents and little brother Sammy. Who all took it really well. Last, Captain Gloval was given encouraging news from the government of Ontario, Canada. They were willing to take in the citizens of Macross City.  
  
The SDF1 had left the Pacific and transformed back into its original form. The long wait would soon be over and the people of Macross would have a place to call their own. But the question on everyone's minds was did they want to leave the place they considered home for over two years now? Were they ready to rejoin society? Would society shun them making over seventy thousand people outcasts? What would happen to them once they left the ship? Those were important questions running through the mind of Mayor Tommy Luan and his staff.  
  
Over on the military side of things changes were taking place. When the Scouts and generals heard that Serena and Darien had already met with the members of the RDF Command on the SDF1 they wondered why their princess and their prince hadn't asked them to join them at the meeting. Serena simply stated that they had duties to perform on the SDF1 and she and Darien didn't want to take them away from those duties. They wanted to be treated no differently than the other members of the RDF on the SDF1. The Scouts and generals had to agree with that thinking. It was the way Serena always thought since becoming Sailor Moon. She never wanted any special treatment because of who she truly was. And when Serena received a letter from the captain informing her of a promotion she wondered if it had to do with who she was until she read his letter explaining she had an outstanding record and her actions as a pilot during recent events prompted the promotion to first lieutenant.  
  
Promotions were being handed out big time that month it seemed. Amy and Zack were also made a first lieutenant for their actions in handling the situation with Rick Hunter and the whole situation with Roy Fokker. Darien received his lieutenant's bars along with Max, Kevin, Justin, Nathan and the other members of the Lunar Squad. Their record as of late was the best on the SDF1 and deserved recognition. It was only fare.  
  
As for the officers in the hospital the passing time allowed them to heal. Roy was still in the coma and had been for a little over two weeks. Rick had been given some good news when he received his promotion papers making him a first lieutenant. And he was named temporary commanding officer of the Skull Squad until Roy could recover from his coma and his injuries. Rick and Lisa started to become even closer than they already were and were very close to admitting they loved one another. Rick didn't think too much about Minmei anymore and was ready to move on with his life. It still hurt that she didn't speak to him anymore but Rick figured if he and Lisa really were who they thought they were then everything that happened was meant to bring them together. But the most exciting news Rick got in almost six weeks came on the day the doctors said most of his injuries were healed. Rick was finally checking out.  
  
TBC  
  
Yes finally got this chapter worked into my plot line! Please R&R! Remember to read Sailor Moon Macross by Chibi Halo too guys it's really good! 


	17. Part 16

Disclaimer: I do not now or have I ever owned the characters of Sailor Moon, Robotech. People I want to say something about Miss Lynn Minmei. I don't like her. I like the Rick/Lisa romance and Minmei just gets in the way. So if you like her don't read this, however, if you want to see a new bitchy side to Minmei please enjoy! At first she'll be nice until the Miss Macross pageant then watch out people Rick will leave her in the dust for Lisa don't worry I slowly bring Rick and Lisa together. Again I want to thank Chibi Halo who wrote 'Sailor Moon Macross' without this story wouldn't have existed. As always please R&R this so I know how it is coming across to people! Chibi Halo I would like to know what you think as well! Chibi Halo there might be a few scenes in my story but I pray you won't mind. One more thing for the beginning of the first few chapters I will use your chapter names, I will come up with my own after the last chapter you named. People who haven't read her story yet please do it is a great read! Please enjoy and now on with the story! This is the only Disclaimer I will write! I just wanted to thank Chibi Halo for being my beta reader!  
  
Authors note: When ever I am talking about Kevin, Nathan, Justin and Zack as a group I will refer to them as the four earth generals as that is what they were suppose to be in the manga before Beryl brainwashed them!  
  
Here comes Trista ready or not! Oh and Minmei lovers this is the beginning of the end of her old goody two-shoe days! But if you like Rick/Lisa relationships stick with it we're going to be headed there!  
  
Robotech Warriors Book 1 By thunderbird with Sections From Chibi Halo  
  
Rick Hunter was glad to be out of the hospital. The doctors had told him he was well enough to finish his recovery period in his quarters and that meant he could go out into the city. Rick was walking again. True he still had his leg wrapped, was walking with a cane, and his arm was in a sling but he was free. He was free of the hospital bed and free of being indoors all day long. As Rick slowly put on a blue short sleeved button up golf shirt with his usual cargos and Docs he thought back to the day he had visited Roy in the ICU just before being given the okay to head home.  
  
It was during one of Lisa's many visits that Rick asked if it was okay to go and see Roy. Amy, after checking him over, said she didn't see any reason why he couldn't as long as he was in a wheelchair and she went with them. Rick was soon being wheeled through the halls of Macross General by one Lisa Hayes who, for the first time since she last saw Carl Ribber, seemed truly happy. And for the first time since he started hearing all those nasty rumors about Minmei and Kyle Rick was in a better mood. But that mood wouldn't last very long.  
  
When the trio came to the ICU Amy checked them in with the visitors' station and walked with Rick and Lisa to the room where Roy was being kept. Lisa knew Claudia wouldn't be in the ICU because her break wasn't scheduled for another few hours. This would give Rick time with Roy by himself.  
  
"Why don't you two go on in and I'll wait out here." Amy told them.  
  
Lisa wheeled Rick into the room placing the wheelchair next to the bed. Roy was hooked up to a machine that was helping him breathe and had an oxygen mask over his face. There were three IV tubes connected to him one to give him a regular drip of fluids to keep him from becoming dehydrated, one to give him a scheduled dose of medicine, and one to feed him a solution of vitamins and minerals.  
  
The monitors blipped and bleeped indicating that Roy was still alive. Rick tried hard not to cry after seeing his big brother lying there helpless in the hospital bed. Rick remembered all the firsts he and Roy shared together. There was the first time Roy took him up in his two seat racer when Rick was seven. The first time Roy accompanied his family to an experimental airplane fly in held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The first time Roy let Rick take the yolk of a plane while they were thousands of feet in the air. The first formal flying lesson Rick would ever receive when he was just eleven right before Roy left for the RDF. The first time Rick ever sat in a military plane on the day the SDF1 launched. And the first time Rick was ever involved in combat as a member of the RDF. Roy was there for all of them.  
  
Now as Rick was going through so many other firsts in his life Roy Fokker wouldn't be there to experience them. Rick was about to enter into his first serious relationship with a woman. And he was about to embark on a new journey as the member of a long dead society being resurrected once more. Rick was learning so much about himself and he wanted Roy to share each new discovery with him. But in his current condition Roy would be unable to watch Rick grow and change from a cocky young teenager to a proud strong confident man with a beautiful and equally strong woman by his side.  
  
"Roy I'm changing a lot and it's a shame you're not around to witness it right now. If only you hadn't gone off and tried to get back at the Zentreadi for what happened to me then you wouldn't be in this mess. I just wish there was something I could do. But then again like me maybe you need to go through this. Maybe something good will come from this. Who knows maybe you're somehow connected to this strange new life I'm discovering. It would sure explain why I saw you in one of my dreams. Maybe you were my big buddy back then too. I just hope you come out of this soon. There's a lot I have to tell you." Rick said hoping Roy could hear him.  
  
Rick tried he really tried hard not to cry but he had failed. Rick broke down in tears and cried. Sitting there in the wheelchair Rick let the silent tears fall upon his face. Lisa saw the tears staining Rick's face and walked over to the chair and placed a gentle hand upon Rick's shoulder. Rick felt Lisa's hand on his shoulder and reached up with his own to take it in his. Lisa squeezed Rick's hand gently to let him know everything was going to be all right. Then using her free arm Lisa wrapped Rick in a hug from behind and placed her head next to his giving Rick a soft kiss on his cheek.  
  
"Don't worry Rick he'll wake up I'm certain of it." Lisa reassured him softly as she held him in her embrace letting him continue to cry.  
  
Outside the room Zack walked up to Amy and wrapped his arms around her waist. "How's our patient?" Zack asked.  
  
"The same as usual! I hope he wakes up soon I hate seeing Rick like this!" Amy said leaning into Zack's arms.  
  
"I know what you mean my little ice princess! I'm just glad he has someone to worry about him and hold him like I'm doing right now!" Zack said turning Amy around and kissing her on the cheek.  
  
"Thank you Zack! I don't know what I'd do with out you!" Amy smiled.  
  
"And you're never going to either!" Zack said.  
  
********  
  
The bridge of the SDF1 was a quiet place that morning. With the battlecruiser slowly making its way towards the Canadian province of Ontario the bridge crew was back to doing what it was meant to do. But it wasn't just the new mission that had the bridge crew less talkative than usual the girls were trying not to talk about the couples on the SDF1 out of respect for Claudia's feelings. Claudia was having a hard time dealing with Roy's coma. The girls decided to take her mind off of things by discussing the latest talk floating around the SDF1.  
  
"So I hear the Mayor is all set to build a brand new Macross City outside of Toronto once the civilians are transferred off the ship." Mina said starting the conversation.  
  
"That'll be good; they need a place to call their own. It's unfair to the people of the city to force them to live on here when they shouldn't have to." Michelle replied.  
  
"I for one hope we can find a way to end all this fighting without loosing any lives." Rei added.  
  
Lisa saw what the girls were trying to do and decided to join in on the conversation. Anything that helped her friend feel better about her current situation was a plus in her book.  
  
"Well don't count on the RDF Command in Alaska to be jumping at the idea of a peaceful resolution to this war anytime soon. I know my father and he's as stubborn as they come. And if the other members of the RDF Command are anything like him then it's going to be a long time before they'll even consider the idea." Lisa said.  
  
"Well they better because it was their decisions in the first place that put us in this mess. They created it so they sure as hell better find a way to get us out of this." Claudia added. The girls couldn't disagree with Claudia's comments. They felt the same way she did about the situation. In their eyes the RDF Command was to blame for delaying the natural progression of Serena and Darien's rise to the throne and the formation of Crystal Tokyo. The future was messed up because of the RDF Command.  
  
"I just hope they realize what they're doing to the future of this world." Rei said as she checked her radar screen.  
  
"I still don't understand any of that yet but it seems to be very important for all of you. Getting you friends to the throne must mean a lot." Lisa replied.  
  
"It does. With Serena and Darien on the throne of the Earth the world will be a better place. There'll be no more wars, no more hunger, and no more poverty. Peace and prosperity will reign supreme. It's a long road, I'll admit that, but once people open up to the idea everything will fall into place. We know the outcome commander we just don't know what the journey getting there will be like." Mina explained to her.  
  
"Then I guess the first step down that path will be getting the RDF Command to agree to talk to the Zentreadi." The captain said making his presence on the bridge known.  
  
********  
  
Miriya was amazed by what she saw inside the SDF1. There were rumors floating around the Zentreadi fleet about the Micronians building an entire society inside the battlecruiser but until Miriya actually saw it with her own two eyes she only thought of the stories as nothing more than rumors. The city was bustling with excitement as large posters were being placed in locations all over the downtown area. Each poster contained photos of a beautiful young couple dressed in black clothes. The young woman wore a cat suit with a mandarin collar that accented every curve just right and a silver colored metal chain belt around her waist, on her feet were a pair of knee high leather boots, and over the outfit she wore a stylized black trench coat. Her hair was a series of small twists that ended in a high ponytail that was a mess of spiral curls. The makeup on her face gave the young woman deep red lips and black lined eyes and mad her look a lot older than she really was.  
  
The young man standing next to her had on a thin black mock turtle neck and leather pants with biker boots and a black belt. Like his companion he too wore a trench coat but it was a bit looser than hers. His hair was loosely styled and fell to his shoulders and in his left hand he held a nasty looking gun. The young woman was standing in such a way that she was provocatively hanging off of him. The posters played on her natural beauty and turned her into an object of desire in order to attract males to the show but Miriya didn't realize this. On the top of the posters were the words White Dragon and on the bottom of the posters was the date and where it would be playing.  
  
"How disgusting males and females touching like that. What sort of culture is this?" Miriya sneered still thinking the way she was told to by her superiors.  
  
Leaving the spot where the poster was being put up Miriya decided it was time to get some food and went to a small Japanese noodle house she had spotted before going to watch the workers put up the movie posters. Walking into the noodle house Miriya saw all sorts of Micronian males and females sitting together eating their food. Staying by the door for a few moments Miriya noticed a small trio of females eating together. One had long aqua colored hair, the youngest of the three had chin length black hair with purple highlights, and the last one had short blonde hair. It was the last one that had Miriya confused. At first Miriya thought she was a male but when she looked closer she saw the blonde was really a female.  
  
"It's been a while since we could sit down and eat like a family eh Michelle." The blonde said.  
  
"Yes we've been busy with our duties and Hotaru has been busy with her classes. With the entire military section on alert almost all the time it's hard for us to just be a family Amara." The one called Michelle replied to the blonde called Amara.  
  
Miriya was intrigued by the concept of family that Amara and Michelle talked about. To the Zentreadi years of being separated into two separate societies had driven away the concepts of love and family. Miriya was fascinated by the concept of family and she wanted to experience it for herself but not until she dealt with the pilot that bested her in combat first. Finding an empty seat at the counter Miriya sat down to have her very first noodle bowl.  
  
Back with Amara, Michelle and Hotaru the conversation turned towards Hotaru and her boyfriend.  
  
"So Hotaru how's the relationship with Serena's brother going?" Michelle asked.  
  
"Oh it's great although he likes to try and get Serena pissed off still!" Hotaru said laughing.  
  
"I wouldn't doubt it! That guy loves seeing Serena mad!" Amara said making sure not to call Sammy a boy in front of Hotaru.  
  
********  
  
Miriya wasn't the only one to notice the posters being put up around the city to announce Minmei's new movie. Serena and Darien were spending some time together after being subjected to the questions of the members of the RDF Command. The pair of fighter pilots didn't want to be the protectors of the Earth or the future rulers of Crystal Tokyo at the moment. They just wanted to be Serena and Darien a couple in love. Serena looked at the overly provocative posters and frowned.  
  
"I can't believe they've turned her into that." Serena commented.  
  
"They're just trying to do what it takes to get people to see the film." Darien replied.  
  
"They're just trying to cater to the hormones of all the men in the military on the ship."  
  
"You'd be thinking otherwise if it were Jan Morris on the posters instead of Minmei."  
  
"She's only seventeen! She's not even an adult yet and they're turning her into some sort of sex symbol for all the hormonally deprived single men in the military! That so called cousin of hers is bad news. And to top it all off! Do you know Minmei practically dumped Rick over all this?" Darien looked over at Serena who was seething with rage over what was happening to Rick. The people running every aspect of Minmei's life were turning her head inside out changing her from a sweet innocent teenager into sex object on top of that it was because of all the people that Minmei left Rick. They were forcing her to grow up far too fast far too soon. Serena wasn't about to stand for that. She wasn't about to let someone else not be able to have a normal life at that confusing time in a young woman's growth.  
  
"Serena calm down. It won't do you any good to get worked up over this." Darien calmly told her.  
  
"I'm sorry Darien it's just that I hate seeing someone robbed of their youth like I was. I also hate what this is costing Rick and Minmei too! I'm just glad he has Lisa now!" Serena replied falling into his comforting embrace.  
  
"Let's just forget about that and go get some sushi."  
  
With that Serena and Darien headed off to the only sushi restaurant on the SDF1. It was expensive but it was worth it.  
  
********  
  
Part 16: Do I Love Her?  
  
********  
  
Rick was glad to be out in the city once again and right now he craved fish. Rick like all the others on the SDF1 had heard the military wanted to put a small aqua farm on the battlecruiser. The RDF wanted the crew of the SDF1 to be able to have fish dishes and thought an aqua farm would be the perfect thing to have. And when Macross City was rebuilt inside the SDF1 the aqua farm operation doubled in size when the local fishermen decided to take over the aqua farm business.  
  
Rick was tired of the usual expensive fish dishes the local seafood place served and wanted to try something different for a change. In the nearly three years he had been on the SDF1 Rick had yet to go to the local sushi bar. Throwing caution to the wind Rick decided to give sushi a try for the fist time in his entire life. Walking into the sushi bar Rick saw many faces he recognized from around the military section of the SDF1 and from the hospital. And amongst the familiar faces Rick saw Serena and Darien.  
  
Ever since he and Minmei went on the double date with the older couple Rick used them as an example of a couple in love. From watching them together Rick learned that age didn't matter and that when you were really in love you didn't care most of the time what people thought of the things you did together as a couple. They were not as rigid as other couples he had seen and were always laughing and happy. They didn't care if people saw their public displays of affection or not they just cared that they made each other happy. And watching them in the sushi bar Rick saw another example of that.  
  
Serena picked up a piece of tuna on bed of pressed rice with her chopsticks and dipped it into a dish of sauce before feeding it to Darien. Darien ended up with a few grains of the vinegary rice on his chin, which caused Serena to start giggling. The Earth Prince gave her a questioning look and Serena reached up with her napkin and wiped away the rice from his face. Darien then returned the favor by feeding Serena a piece of butterfly shrimp topped with orange salmon roe on the same type of pressed rice dipped in the sauce. Serena took the sushi in her mouth and smiled as she chewed it. When she finished Serena leaned over and gave Darien a small kiss on the lips that lasted all of thirty seconds but conveyed all of her love for the man next to her.  
  
"That's what couples in love should be doing. Not what Minmei and I used do. All we did was sit there and talk about her uncle's restaurant or my life as a pilot. I think Minmei cared more about the fact that I was a pilot in the military and not about how I felt for her." Rick thought aloud.  
  
Rick walked over to the counter where people were watching the sushi chefs create their culinary works of art with pieces of fish meat and rice. Sitting down at the counter Rick took a menu from the slot in front of him and began looking it over. On one side was a list of the standard everyday sushi and sashimi fare that the bar offered. On the reverse side was a list of the beers, wines, alcohol's, and other drinks that were available to drink. Looking the menu over Rick noticed a small message written on it.  
  
For those untrained in the ways of eating sushi and sashimi it is always wise to listen to the chef. And it is always wise to go with the Chef's Surprise. You will never be disappointed.  
  
The Chef's Surprise was just that a surprise. No one knew what the sushi chef would create each night. The best cuts of fish would be selected and then served over a patty of sushi rice either alone or with some roe or other ingredients on top served alongside a few spicy wasabi flavored sashimi rolls. Rick decided it would be a safe bet to go with the Chef's Surprise and have a small pot of green tea with it since he couldn't have alcohol while on his medicines.  
  
"Excuse me miss." Rick said getting the waitress's attention, "I'd like to order the Chef's Surprise and a small pot of green tea."  
  
The waitress wrote down his order and left to prepare the tea setup. And while Rick waited for his lunch to arrive he thought about his crumbling relationship with Minmei and his budding relationship with Lisa. Where one was ending another one was beginning. But Rick felt as though the relationship with Minmei wouldn't be truly over with until he talked to her face to face.  
  
********  
  
As the final touches were being made to the production end of Minmei's move White Dragon Minmei and Kyle were on another photo shoot. Minmei was dressed in an outfit similar to the ones she wore for the posters and in the movie only this time it was skintight red leather pants that were low on the hips with matching knee length boots with three inch spike heels, an all too small red sleeveless Chinese style shirt that ended two inches below her bust, and a stylized red leather trench coat. Minmei's hair was in the same style as the posters and she wore the same makeup.  
  
Kyle was dressed in red as well. This time he wore tight red pants over red boots and a thin tight red mock turtleneck with short sleeves. His hair was once again left to fall down to his shoulders. Everything about the outfit was designed to show off his muscles while Minmei's was designed to make her look like the sex kitten Kyle and the rest of her management team were making her believe she was. In fact, Minmei's old wardrobe had been sent to the resale shop so a more provocative more adult wardrobe could be brought in for her to wear. Minmei's new look was designed to turn men on in more ways than one and she loved it.  
  
"Minmei I could just eat you up." The photographer commented with a British accent.  
  
The photographer then had Minmei remove her trench coat and stand in such a way that her bust looked two sizes larger than it really was. He then had Kyle stand behind her place his arms around her shoulders in a way that had him fondling her chest. Minmei's head was made to rest on Kyle's chest while his head was brought down and tilted so that it looked like he was sucking on her earlobe.  
  
The photographer had Minmei and Kyle hold their pose for a few minutes while he took shots of them from different angles. The whole time he was snapping pictures the photographer made comments to try and get the young couple to relax and look natural.  
  
"Minmei doll loosen up a bit. You don't want to look like a mannequin you want to melt into Kyle's arms." He told her.  
  
Minmei tried to relax a bit and just let Kyle hold her but something was bothering her and it was affecting the pose. Kyle could sense something up with his naive little cousin and began whispering questions in her ear.  
  
"Minmei something's bugging you. Tell me what it is." Kyle half wondered half commanded.  
  
"It's Rick Hunter. Even though I've dropped him from my life like a ton of bricks I think he may still be obsessed with me. I can't have him ruining what we have Kyle. I need to make him see that he means nothing to me anymore." Minmei told him.  
  
"Then send him a message that you wish to see him in the most public of places and humiliate him in front of the entire city."  
  
"I love the way you think Kyle."  
  
"And I love you my White Dragon."  
  
The little conversation between Minmei and Kyle helped the young woman relax and get into the spirit of the shoot. The photographer changed the position of Kyle's right arm so that it was now around Minmei's waist in such a way that his hand was right on her crotch. His left arm was then wrapped across Minmei's bust. Minmei's arms were changed as well. Her left one now snaked up and held onto the back of Kyle's head while her right one was placed on top of Kyle's hand on her crotch as if to guide him to the proper places to touch. Minmei's head was titled to the right to expose a good portion of her neck while Kyle was made to look as though he were kissing, nibbling, and sucking on it.  
  
"Minmei darling part your lips slightly for me and close your eyes a bit. I want to capture you in the height of passion. You're a young sensual creature loved by the camera and by everyone around you. And once they see this spread no one will ever think of you as plain ordinary little girl anymore. Men will do whatever they want for you even stop wars for you." The photographer told her feeding her more hype to boost her already over inflated ego too much.  
  
Minmei tried to do what the photographer wanted but was having some trouble getting fully into it. Kyle could tell his young innocent cousin still had some inhibitions to let go of and decided to break the final barrier releasing the sensual beast he was carefully turning her into. Instead of looking as though he was kissing, nibbling, and sucking Minmei's neck Kyle began to do the real thing adding his hands to the mixture. The results were better than the photographer could have ever imagined. Minmei was totally engulfed by the passion being played out. As the shoot continued Kyle let a small smirk play across his face as he whispered into Minmei's ear.  
  
"You belong to me now Minmei. You're mine." Kyle told her.  
  
********  
  
Captain Henry Gloval commanding officer of the SDF1 knew he had to get the lines of communication open between the RDF Command and the Zentreadi. The only problem was trying to convince the members of the RDF Command that peace talks would be a good thing for both sides. Gloval remembered all the time he spent with Lisa discussing how to handle her father. Each time they discussed possible strategies for dealing with the members of the RDF Command Lisa would tell him how stubborn and thickheaded her father was. The admiral was going to be a tough nut to crack.  
  
But the captain had some hope. Admiral Hayes and the other members of the RDF Command in Alaska didn't realize it but the SDF1 had a secret weapon. If needed Captain Gloval and the other high level commanding officers on the SDF1 were prepared to unleash Serena Tuskino upon the RDF Command and the United Earth Government. For some reason Henry knew that Serena was the key to lasting peace he just didn't know how or when it would happen. He just hoped Serena would be willing to help them.  
  
"In two days I will make my proposal before the RDF Command to begin peace talks with the Zentreadi. If only I had some sort of assurance that they would be willing to give peace a chance but from what I saw at the Command base that is nothing more than wishful thinking." Gloval thought aloud.  
  
With a heavy sigh Henry Gloval logged onto the ship's Intranet and accessed the records for the members of the RDF Command. There had to be something in the records along with what Lisa had told him that could help Gloval deal with the RDF Command. Slowly and surely Gloval began the long process of carefully reading through the records.  
  
********  
  
Rick wasn't certain what he was doing at the small outdoor café. But when he received word that Minmei wanted to see him there he leapt at the chance to actually see her again. It wasn't that Rick still had feelings for her it was the fact that Minmei was very busy and never returned any of his messages. Rick wanted to talk to Minmei but he wanted to do it in private not where everyone could see them. The fact that they would be out in the open like this bothered Rick a lot.  
  
Rick was brought out of his thoughts when he heard some men whistling and cat calling at young woman headed in his direction. At first Rick thought the woman was someone else but then he got a good look at her. There was Minmei standing before him. She had changed a lot since he last saw her. Her hair was now a mess of soft curls held up out of her face in a high ponytail with a series of small twists. Her clothes consisted of tight black hip hugging pants, an equally tight sleeveless black shirt that ended just past the bust, and black spiked heel boots. Minmei didn't look like the girl Rick had met close to three year before that moment.  
  
"Minmei you wished to see me." Rick wondered.  
  
"Yes Rick I did." She replied, "You see things have changed for me since I began filming my movie. For one I've grown up quite a lot."  
  
"I can see that." Rick commented indicating the new look.  
  
"And another thing I've fallen in love. He's not like you Rick. He's not a little boy trapped in a man's world playing at a game he'll never win. He's a real man and he knows how to make me feel like the woman I was meant to be." Minmei told him in a haughty tone.  
  
Rick began to wonder who the new man in Minmei's life was and if he had anything to do with her change in wardrobe and attitude. Rick was concerned that something was going to happen to Minmei and for a moment he found himself wanting to protect her. But then he remembered the reason why he wanted to see Minmei in the first place. Rick wanted to formally end his relationship with Minmei so he could officially begin his relationship with Lisa.  
  
"So Minmei who's the man?" Rick wondered.  
  
"It's Kyle. And he's better than you Rick. He doesn't have to pretend he's some hotshot just to impress me. He makes me come alive with each touch and kiss. He wants me and I want him. Kyle says together we can be the most powerful couple in all of Macross City. Everyone will do what we want them to. We have all the fame and all the money. And once my movie premieres next week the people of this city will forget all about you and your stupid little pilots. We are all that matters to this city." Minmei said.  
  
"Minmei are you nuts? Do you actually believe what you just said? That's all Kyle speaking and not you. He's turned you into his own personal whore."  
  
"How dare you say that about me and the man I love!"  
  
Minmei prepared to strike Rick across the face but never connected. Rick had reached up with his good hand and caught Minmei's wrist holding it in place. Minmei sneered at Rick seething with anger.  
  
"Minmei you need to grow up. You never visited me in the hospital, you never sent me a single card or flower, and you never had time for me. Ever since that Kyle demanded he come back with us all you care about is what he tells you. You know I'm glad we spent that time apart from each other." Rick said.  
  
"And why is that Rick?" Minmei demanded.  
  
"I found out a lot about myself but more importantly I found true love not this little game of dress up you're playing with Kyle. You see Minmei I realized that I am in love with Lisa Hayes. And I can tell she loves me too."  
  
"This relationship is over with Rick Hunter. From now on you and I are strangers. I don't ever want to see you again. Come near me and I'll have you thrown in prison. And they'll believe me Rick because I am a goddess to them."  
  
"You know I suddenly lost my appetite. Goodbye Minmei. I hope you and Kyle are happy in that sick twisted little world of yours."  
  
Rick stood up and walked away from the table leaving a stunned Minmei behind. Rick wasn't supposed to have a backbone and her plan wasn't supposed to end the way it did. She was supposed to be the one to leave Rick sitting alone at the café not the other way around.  
  
********  
  
The White Dragon premier was the hottest ticket in town. Everyone wanted to be able to go to the very first showing of the first movie to be made inside the battlecruiser. And almost everyone on the SDF1 wanted to see Minmei perform again at the premier. Minmei mania ruled all over the SDF1 especially in Macross City. But there were some who could care less about all the hype. For Serena and her friends the movie premier was the farthest thing from their minds as they gathered for another meeting. This time they let Rick and Lisa join their meeting. They may not have been Scouts but they were still an important part of the past and the Silver Alliance.  
  
"Welcome to our little meeting Rick, Lisa. I see your arm's out of the sling and you're walking without the cane Rick." Serena said getting the meeting started.  
  
"Yeah Amy gave the good word yesterday. Another week and my leg can finally come out of this wrap." Rick replied.  
  
"And then Rick can return to active duty by the end of the month." Amy told them.  
  
"The captain has put Rick in charge of the Skull Squadron in Lt. Commander Fokker's absence." Lisa announced.  
  
Everyone looked over at Rick and saw the expression on his face. They could tell Rick felt as though he were robbing Roy of his rightful place as the leader of the Skull Squad. Rick didn't want for this to happen. He just wanted to have Roy awake and functioning again. Life just didn't seem right without Roy around.  
  
"What's he going to do about a fighter? His was all smashed up in that battle with the Zentreadi." Amara wondered.  
  
"It was decided that until Lt. Commander Fokker is able to return to active duty Rick will fly in Skull One." Lisa told them.  
  
Rick's face paled when he heard he would be getting Roy's plane. Next to Claudia that plane was the most important thing in his life. And knowing Roy he wouldn't dare let anyone near his plane unless there was a very good reason to. Rick felt sorry for the person who would be given the job of telling Roy he was flying his plane when he woke up. Sensing Rick's fear Lisa took his hand in hers and gave him a reassuring look.  
  
"If I didn't know better I'd say the commander likes Rick." Mina whispered to Lita.  
  
"You knew it would happen someday. Especially after that kiss they shared." Lita whispered back trying not to be heard by the others.  
  
"And now to get down to the real reason for this meeting. We need to figure out a way to open the lines of communication between the Zentreadi and the RDF Command." Luna said.  
  
"Plus we need to get the RDF Command to commit to their promise of letting the civilians be able to rebuild Macross City outside of the SDF1." Artimes added.  
  
"Good luck trying to convince those hard heads anything." Lisa said.  
  
"What makes you say that Lisa?" Darien wondered.  
  
"Knowing my father he won't back down until everyone else gives up. I don't know who was more stubborn growing up my father or my mother. They could keep an argument alive for days. And if he's that way then I'm pretty certain the other members of the RDF Command will be the same way." Lisa told everyone.  
  
"Looks like we have our work cut out for us." Amara said.  
  
"I love a good challenge." Lita added.  
  
"That's my Thunder Heart!" Nathan laughed, "Always ready to put the enemy in their place or straighten out our allies!"  
  
"Oh you!" Lita laughed as she lightly punched Nathan in the arm.  
  
"Well I for one am prepared to go before the RDF Command myself if it will get them talking with the Zentreadi." Serena declared.  
  
"So what do we do first?" Justin asked.  
  
"We probable wait until the Captain tells us something!" Kevin said.  
  
"Yeah I agree with Kev. we don't know what the captain wants yet and right now is just a waiting game for now!" Zack said.  
  
********  
  
Miriya walked through the streets of Macross amazed and confused by everything she saw. Everywhere she went she saw the posters and other things advertising the movie White Dragon. Miriya was confused by the concept of a movie. She couldn't understand what all the excitement was all about. Stopping in front of the only movie theater in town Miriya watched as the workers prepared it for the premier about to take place in two days. A large sign was placed on the outside of the theater announcing that the premier was sold out with a smaller sign in the window of two small booths telling people the same thing. Miriya just couldn't figure out why people would want to see a female that touched a male the way she did in the posters around town.  
  
"I don't get it why do these Micronians worship that female so. What is it about her that makes them act the way they do?" Miriya thought aloud.  
  
Miriya figured if she was going to learn what it was about the female called Minmei that made an entire city act the way it did then she would have to find a way into the movie. Unfamiliar with the concept of sold out Miriya went to the ticket booth where there was one young man preparing for another day of very little people coming to see the ever rotating lineup of overly played live action and anime films.  
  
"The White Dragon is there any way to see it?" Miriya asked the man behind the glass.  
  
"There are no seats left for the premier and when it opens to the public the next day you won't be able to buy tickets for later showings so you're just going to have to take your chances standing in line with the rest of the city and the military men on their breaks. But not to worry you'll eventually be able to see it seeing as how it's the only new movie to come here in almost three years." He told her.  
  
"I see." Was the only reply Miriya knew in a situation such as this one. Taking the information the man behind the counter had given her at face value Miriya left the Biograph Theater and headed off to do some more investigating around the city. She had over seventy thousand people to check out in order to find the pilot that defeated her in combat.  
  
"I am going to have to check out this White Dragon when I can see it." Miriya thought aloud.  
  
********  
  
The SDF1 took its time heading to Ontario. Captain Gloval didn't want to do anything that would further jeopardize his standing with the RDF Command. And he wanted to make certain that the Zentreadi wouldn't attack the ship before they were able relocate the people of Macross City. Henry Gloval tried to make things look as inconspicuous as possible. Right now he didn't want to get on the bad side of either the Zentreadi or the RDF Command.  
  
The crew of the SDF1 was in the middle of a shift change. The senior bridge crew had all somehow managed to get tickets to the premier of the new movie White Dragon. The only one not going to see the movie was Claudia. She had told Lisa it would be too painful to see all the couples at the premier and volunteered for double shifts. Lisa just figured that Claudia needed some time to herself away from the hustle and bustle of the city. And the extra quiet bridge that night would be just what Claudia needed.  
  
"Have fun at the movie Lisa." Claudia said as Lisa was leaving to get ready.  
  
"Are you sure you'll be okay Claudia?" Lisa asked over her shoulder.  
  
"I'll be fine Lisa. Now go before you end up being late."  
  
"Okay, okay I'm going. I'll see you in the morning Claudia."  
  
Lisa then exited the bridge to head back to her quarters to get ready for her evening together with Rick and what would be their first date.  
  
********  
  
The city was buzzing with the excitement of the movie premier. It seemed just about everyone was outside the Biograph to try and catch a glimpse of the stars as they arrived at the theater. Almost everyone on the SDF1 military or civilian wanted to see Minmei in person. The premier of the movie was to include a small concert by Minmei who would sing the title track to the movie's soundtrack. And besides the concert some of the more well known members of Macross society would be in attendance.  
  
Tickets for the event were the hottest thing in town and if you had one you were envied by everyone you knew. It seemed that only the very wealthy and elite members of Macross society were able to get tickets to the movie. The average citizen in Macross and the members of the military weren't as lucky. Only a small few of them were able to get tickets for the premier. Everyone outside of the cast and crew had to pay for their tickets. There were no tickets given out to anyone except for three, tickets were given to Minmei's family her Aunt Kim, Uncle Chan, and little cousin Jamie were given the only free tickets in the entire ship.  
  
Among the lucky ones besides Serena, Darien, the Generals and the rest of the Scouts to get tickets to the movie premier were Rick and Lisa. Somehow Rick was able to purchase the tickets before they sold out. It had cost the Veritech pilot a full week's salary for the tickets but it was worth it. Rick had wanted to treat Lisa to a special night out as a way of thanking her for all the time she spent with him in the hospital and he wanted to see how they felt about one another. This was going to be one evening they would never forget for a long time.  
  
The night started out with the arrival of the cast, crew, and other important people on board the SDF1. Then once they had entered into the Biograph the public who had tickets were let in. Before the movie was to even start the director walked out onto the stage to talk to the audience.  
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen I just want to welcome you to the first ever showing of the new movie White Dragon staring Minmei and Lynn Kyle. Minmei, Lynn Kyle, and I worked hard on this film to bring it to all of you. I think you'll like what you see. And now before we begin tonight's presentation I would like to introduce to you the star of White Dragon Minmei who will be singing a song from the soundtrack." The director Billy Zane said.  
  
Minmei, who had her last name dropped at Kyle's suggestion, walked out on stage wearing a form fitting black hip hugging leather skirt that ended at mid thigh, an all too tight and very small black leather strapless top that barely covered her bust, a very short black leather jacket, and thigh high black leather four inch spiked heeled boots. Once again her hair was done in the same style and her makeup hadn't changed except for the fact that her lipstick was now blood red and her face made to look two shades paler. Minmei walked over to the microphone and took it off the stand before addressing the crowd.  
  
"Thank you for coming to my movie. As Billy said I will be giving you a taste of the White Dragon soundtrack. This song is called Lovers' Dance." Minmei told the audience.  
  
The music began playing and what the audience thought would be a simple romantic ballad turned into something much more. The beat to the music was sensual and erotic filled with moans in the background. As the song went on the audience realized what Minmei was singing about, making love. And the dance she did upon the stage had a few people in the audience appalled by what they were seeing.  
  
When the song was over with Minmei got a respectable round of applause as she walked off the stage. A theater worker then removed the microphone as the curtain opened and the movie began. The story which at first was going to be about a military pilot saving a city from an alien invasion turned into a spy movie where the spy team of Minmei, the lead spy White Dragon, and Kyle, the spy called Red Falcon, battled an evil super genius while falling in love with each other. About thirty minutes into the movie Minmei and Kyle shared their first kiss on screen one the audience knew wasn't fake. Then ten minutes later the spies were in a hotel suite at a Monte Carlo styled hotel where they proceeded to make love to the song Minmei had sung before the movie.  
  
The sight of seeing Minmei and Kyle on screen doing things to each other only two consenting adults should do was too much for both Rick and Lisa. It was hard for Rick because the look of honest not faked pleasure on Minmei's face was the final nail in the coffin for him. For Lisa Kyle looked too much like Carl that it still hurt that her childhood friend was dead. The pain of discovering his fate on Mars was still etched into her brain even if she was ready to move on. The movie continued on but Lisa didn't want to see any of it. Getting up from her seat Lisa headed for the aisle and then the exit. Noticing her leaving Rick decided to follow Lisa and see what was wrong.  
  
********  
  
The night crew of the SDF1 thought they would be having a peaceful shift. But Claudia, the captain, and the girls who worked the night hours soon found themselves facing a mess of pods led by Khyron. The Zentreadi squad commander was back to being under the command of Breetai who had recently returned from assisting Lord Dolza. And the first thing Breetai wanted Khyron to do after seeing the transmission coming from the SDF1 was to launch an attack against it.  
  
With the Skull and Lunar squads off duty for the evening the task of defending the SDF1 fell to the other squads on board the two carriers. Four of the moderately sized squads were sent into battle against Khyron and his men. And with the SDF1 so close to Thunder Bay and Lake Superior it was rough going trying not to involve the people down on the ground. Captain Gloval wanted to end the battle between the Zentreadi as quickly as possible.  
  
"Claudia, send a message to all personnel to begin transformation procedures." Captain Gloval said, "Amber, contact engineering and have them divert power to the transformation mechanism."  
  
"Aye sir." The two women replied.  
  
Claudia then got on the ship's com system and prepared to inform the military personnel to prepare for the upcoming transformation.  
  
"All personnel report to transformation stations. Repeat, all personnel report to transformation stations." Claudia told the rest of the crew.  
  
"Sir, engineering reports transformation mechanism powered and ready to go." Amber, the night helms officer reported.  
  
"Good. Claudia, begin transformation sequence." Gloval told her.  
  
"Aye sir." Claudia replied as she began punching in the codes to begin the ship's transformation.  
  
********  
  
The streets of Macross began to rumble and split signaling that the SDF1 was transforming yet again. Those on the streets knew exactly where to go in times like this. There were shelters where the citizens of Macross were supposed to go when the SDF1 transformed. In a neat and orderly fashion the people of Macross City who were not indoors headed for the shelters. The looks on their faces told anyone who saw them that they were getting bored with heading off to the shelters.  
  
Rick and Lisa who happened to be outside of the theater at the time the alarm in the city went off began heading towards the nearest shelter. As they headed across the street it began to split in two sliding open to accommodate the changes the ship and the city would be undergoing. The opening below the street was seven feet deep, just large enough for an average man to stand up. The streets of the city were wracked with another jolt from the transformation and a hit to the hull from a pod cannon. People on the sidewalks tried hard not to fall down and some of them failed. Rick and Lisa both lost their footing and fell into the opening just mere moments before the street began to close once more.  
  
********  
  
The people in the Biograph were not ready for the ship to transform into the battleoid form. As the SDF1 shook and rocked with the transformation and the battle outside it the people in the theater began to make a mad dash for the exits. Knowing what had to be done the Scouts and Generals along with Serena and Darien quickly reacted trying to get the people in the theater out in an orderly fashion.  
  
"Everyone please calm down and exit the theater in a calm and orderly fashion." Serena called out over the noise of the crowd.  
  
"What do you need us to do?" Mina asked Serena.  
  
Looking around the theater Serena noticed Kyle and Minmei near the stage. Kyle was hovering over Minmei who looked to be clutching her head and her ankle in pain. Despite what she felt about the younger woman Serena knew they had to help her.  
  
"Amy I want you and Zack to go and help Lynn Kyle get Minmei out of here and to the hospital. The rest of us will try and calm this crowd down and direct them out the center doors in the lobby." Serena told them.  
  
"We're on it Serena." Amy and Zack said in unison.  
  
"You heard the woman let's get going." Mina added.  
  
The Scouts and Generals then broke up into smaller groups to go and help the people in the theater get out without any injury.  
  
********  
  
Rick and Lisa were under the streets of Macross in a small four by six seven foot deep space. Sure there was a ladder like series of rungs in the wall but it did them no good if the street was closed together. Rick and Lisa knew there was only one reason for something like this to happen, the SDF1 was under attack yet again.  
  
"Oh this is just great." Rick complained as he checked his still healing left leg.  
  
"Who knows how long it'll be before the captain tells Claudia to transform the SDF1 back." Lisa replied.  
  
"Looks like we'll be down here for a while."  
  
"Not much we can do down here except wait."  
  
"Gee I haven't done anything like this since I first came onto the SDF1."  
  
Lisa sat down and noticed that Rick was still checking his still healing leg. The young commander was worried that Rick's leg may have been damaged further in the fall from the street. It had taken Rick a bit of time to get where he was in his recovery and Lisa worried that he may be set back to where he was when he got out of the hospital.  
  
"Rick is your leg okay?" Lisa asked him.  
  
"Yeah it's fine. It's just a little tender from the fall." Rick replied.  
  
Rick then looked over at Lisa and noticed the gloomy expression written across her face. Something was bothering Lisa and he intended to find out what it was.  
  
"Lisa why did you run out of the theater like that?" Rick wondered.  
  
"Minmei's costar Lynn Kyle looked way too much like a boy I knew growing up in Virginia. We were friends even though he was six years older than me. Growing up I idolized Carl and even had a crush on him. And up until just before the training began for the new Veritech pilots and crew of the SDF1 I thought I might see him again. It was around that time the rumors that something happened to the crew of Mars Base Sara went crazy and killed each other after a meteor hit part of the base. I didn't want to believe what I had heard. But then we traveled to Mars and I learned that he and everyone else on Base Sara was dead. That's when I realized it was over for good for us." Lisa explained.  
  
"That explains why you were so eager to take that mission to the surface of Mars. But I thought you were moving on with your life."  
  
"I am. At least I think I am. But seeing Kyle up on the screen like that brought back a whole boatload of memories and feelings that hadn't gone away yet. I may have gotten over my crush but Carl was still my friend and it hurts not knowing what happened to him."  
  
Rick saw how the memories of her childhood friend were affecting Lisa and went over to the young commander and placed an arm around her shoulders pulling her close to him. Lisa looked over at Rick and saw the tender look on Rick's face and smiled. A lot had happened to them since they were captured by the Zentreadi and part of it centered on them.  
  
"You know I'll always be here for you." Rick told her.  
  
"I know that Rick and I appreciate it very much."  
  
"I care about you a lot Lisa and it's not because of some past we had together. When I see you I don't see her I just see the kind wonderful strong person you are. I think...no I know I've fallen for you Lisa. I love you and I want to spend as much time as possible with you."  
  
Lisa didn't know what to say. Here was someone four years younger than she was willingly professing his feelings for her. Lisa had been thinking about her feelings for Rick ever since he first visited Roy in the ICU and the more she thought about it the more she realized that she loved Rick a lot.  
  
"I love you too Rick." Lisa told him.  
  
Lisa and Rick sat there looking at each other in the eyes. They had just admitted their feelings to one another. It was a big step in their relationship. By telling Lisa he loved her Rick was ending his relationship with Minmei for good. It felt great to not have to worry that Minmei would be hurt if he pursued a more serious relationship with Lisa. It was something Rick wanted and something he knew Minmei wasn't ready for, she just wasn't mature enough to handle it and the feelings that came with it.  
  
The young couple decided to remove the distance between them and leaned in close to each other for a kiss. It would be their first kiss on the lips since the Zentreadi ship and the first kiss that would come from their hearts and not some command. When their lips touched the problems of the world melted away. There was no war going on and there was no big Hollywood styled movie premier. Minmei and Kyle didn't exist either. There was only them. All that mattered was Rick and Lisa. Lisa parted her lips as an invitation to Rick to let his tongue into her mouth. Rick wasted no time exploring everything Lisa's mouth had to offer. A few minutes later the kiss ended and Rick and Lisa sat there smiling at one another just as the street began to open once more.  
  
"Looks like the battle is over." Rick said still a little heady from the kiss.  
  
"Yeah I guess it is. We'd better get out of here." Lisa replied also a bit giddy.  
  
"Lisa do you want to come to my quarters?" Rick asked.  
  
"Are you sure Rick I mean you just got out of the hospital not too long ago?" Lisa asked.  
  
"Yes Lisa I'm sure! I feel like exploring our new found relationship more!" Rick told her.  
  
"Oh Rick!" Lisa screamed not in horror but in excitement in seeing just how far their newfound love could take them.  
  
Together the new couple climbed out of the split street and proceeded to Rick's quarters.  
  
********  
  
The reporters waited outside of Macross General Hospital for news on Minmei. They flocked to the hospital when word was sent out that Minmei had been brought there by one of the military doctors who happened to be in attendance at the movie premier. Fifteen minutes after their arrival Minmei and Kyle walked out of the hospital stopping on the steps to address the crowd. The young couple had huge smiles upon their faces telling the reporters that something else had happened in the hospital besides a check up to see if Minmei was okay.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen of the press I have some very good news to announce to you tonight. First of all Minmei is fine. The doctors said she just has a nasty bump on her head and bruised her ankle during the attack. But that's not all. While inside the exam room Minmei consented to be my bride. Minmei and I are to be married as soon as we can get permission to travel to Yokohama to see her parents once more." Kyle told the reporters.  
  
The reporters couldn't believe what they were hearing Lynn Kyle and their beloved Minmei were going to be married. They didn't know if the young couple would be able to get permission from the military to leave the ship again but when they did they wanted to be there for the momentous occasion.  
  
"Minmei is what Kyle saying true? Did you accept a marriage proposal from him?" the reporter for an entertainment gossip program asked her.  
  
"Yes I did. Kyle loves me very much and wants only the best for me. He says we can be even better together if we're married." Minmei told them in her naïve yet beginning to understand manner.  
  
"What about your age Minmei aren't you a little young to be getting married?" the entertainment reporter for the local paper asked.  
  
Kyle felt they had said all there was to be said on the subject. He didn't want anyone saying or asking something that might have Minmei thinking what they were doing was wrong. Kyle didn't want the trust Minmei had in him to be destroyed because she suddenly began questioning the moral legality of their relationship. Minmei believed everything Kyle had told her and if she began to doubt him then all his hard work would go down the drain. He didn't want anyone to ruin the final step in his plan that would make Minmei his forever.  
  
"I'm sorry but Minmei is tired and needs to get her rest. She's had a long day." Kyle told the reporters in a 'don't even think about questioning me' tone.  
  
Minmei looked over at Kyle with a look on her face that clearly told him she wasn't in the least bit tired. Kyle glared back at her with a look that told her who the boss in the relationship really was. He then leaned over to her and whispered something in her ear.  
  
"Listen Minmei I don't like the look you just gave me one bit. If I say you're tired then you're tired. You listen to me now understand. I tell you what to do and you and I are going back to our suite. You are not going to any party. I control your life not you." Kyle hissed in her ear.  
  
Minmei's eyes became real wide and then shone with understanding as Kyle laid down the laws of their relationship. Minmei knew her place and didn't want to anger Kyle. Kyle had told her she was too immature to handle the kind of people running her career and that she would be better off letting him handle everything. And when he said everything he meant everything.  
  
"I could use some rest after what happened in the theater. I'm sorry I can't answer any more of your questions." Minmei told the reporters in a quiet voice.  
  
********  
  
Kyle and Minmei returned to the hotel suite after dealing with the reporters in front of the hospital. Minmei didn't quite understand what had Kyle all bothered like he was but something was wrong she at least knew that. Walking over to Kyle Minmei put a hand upon his shoulder and looked up at him with big questioning eyes. The eyes that once held all the innocence in the world had become darker with feelings and desires Minmei was still too innocent to understand. But that would soon be a thing of the past.  
  
"Kyle is something bothering you?" Minmei asked him.  
  
"Nothing is wrong Minmei now that I have you back in our home." Kyle told her.  
  
"I just want to make you feel better. If there is something I can do tell me." Minmei replied.  
  
"I think you know what it is I want." Kyle said with a feral look on his face.  
  
Minmei understood all too well what Kyle was talking about and soon found herself being pulled into a lip crushing kiss. Kyle forced her mouth open with his tongue and shoved it into her mouth. A look of fear came over Minmei's face as she wondered if what they were about to do was right. As the kiss continued Kyle pulled off Minmei's jacket and began running his hands up her bare sides. When the kiss ended Kyle was panting as Minmei just looked at him with fear-laden eyes.  
  
"Kyle this isn't right. The marriage tonight we're cousins and we shouldn't be doing this." Minmei tried to reason with him.  
  
"Minmei, Minmei, Minmei I guess our family has done a very good job of keeping this little secret. You see we're not actually cousins. Twenty years ago my parents adopted me. My mother's career was still going and she didn't want to be burdened with the inconvenience of having a baby. But her manger had told her that the motherly type was in and she needed a baby in order to further her career. So she and my father adopted me. It was three years later when you came along and by then they all forgot about the fact that I wasn't a natural born Lynn. Six years after that when my mother was well retired from her modeling job she decided she was ready to actually go through childbirth and year later my brother Jamie was born. It was then I learned the awful truth about myself. My parents told me I wasn't their child and Jamie wasn't my brother. They cared more about him than me. But one thing kept me going over the following years, you. You see I developed a crush on you Minmei and then one day I decided that I loved you. That was when your parents decided that you should visit my parents for a while. You were fourteen and I was seventeen at the time. I knew pursuing a relationship then would be wrong so I forced myself to wait and that's when I went away to Yokohama University a year later. I couldn't stand the military presence in Macross but I had to control my desires and lust for you Minmei. Now that you're all grown up I want you. I want to make you mine forever. Say yes and I can make you a true woman." Kyle told Minmei.  
  
Minmei looked at Kyle and could tell that he wasn't lying to her about the adoption or his feelings for her. His love, however sick and twisted it may have been, was genuine for her. Kyle wanted her and he wanted to give her something Rick couldn't, the gift of true womanhood.  
  
"Yes Kyle, change me from a scared little girl into a strong woman. I don't want to be the girl I was before you came to the SDF1. Make me yours." Minmei said.  
  
A sinister grin came across Kyle's face. He had won. Minmei was about to be his forever.  
  
TBC  
  
Please R&R! Also read Chibi Halo's Sailor Moon Macross! 


	18. Part 17

Disclaimer: I do not now or have I ever owned the characters of Sailor Moon, Robotech. People I want to say something about Miss Lynn Minmei. I don't like her. I like the Rick/Lisa romance and Minmei just gets in the way. So if you like her don't read this, however, if you want to see a new bitchy side to Minmei please enjoy! At first she'll be nice until the Miss Macross pageant then watch out people Rick will leave her in the dust for Lisa don't worry I slowly bring Rick and Lisa together. Again I want to thank Chibi Halo who wrote 'Sailor Moon Macross' without this story wouldn't have existed. As always please R&R this so I know how it is coming across to people! Chibi Halo I would like to know what you think as well! Chibi Halo there might be a few scenes in my story but I pray you won't mind. One more thing for the beginning of the first few chapters I will use your chapter names, I will come up with my own after the last chapter you named. People who haven't read her story yet please do it is a great read! Please enjoy and now on with the story! This is the only Disclaimer I will write! I just wanted to thank Chibi Halo for being my beta reader!  
  
Robotech Warriors Book 1 By thunderbird with Sections From Chibi Halo  
  
A few days later after the whole movie premier fiasco Rick had finally decided to stay with Lisa because he knew that Lisa was making him happier then Minmei ever did. He also knew that yes although Lisa and he had gotten into fights these were little in compare to the ones Minmei and he went through. This morning was a day they would never forget.  
  
Lisa wrapped herself deeper into Rick's arms as she took in his warm sent. "I hope the captain can talk my father and the others into letting us stay here in Canada still after what happened a couple of days ago."  
  
"Lisa I'm sure he'll try everything in his power to get them to allow the people of Macross to stay! If not I'm not sure what's going to happen." Rick told her.  
  
"That's just it Rick what are we going to do?" Lisa asked hugging Rick's chest.  
  
"I'm not sure Lisa! I'm just not sure!" Rick said into Lisa hair.  
  
********  
  
The time had come for Henry Gloval captain in the RDF to make his proposal for peace to the members of the RDF Command. Things had gone horribly wrong during the last battle with the Zentreadi and now Thunder Bay, Ontario was wiped off the face of the Earth and the government of the Canadian province didn't want the people of Macross anymore. In fact, the Canadian parliament passed a resolution stating that no province in Canada would take in the citizens of Macross City just two days later. Gloval remembered listening to the Prime Minister address the people of Canada from Montreal the following morning after the attack.  
  
"My fellow citizens of Canada, it is with deepest sympathies that I address you today. Last night the city of Thunder Bay in Ontario was maliciously attacked by an alien force and by a battle cruiser belonging to the United Earth Government's Robotech Defense Force. The Canadian Air Force has identified the battle cruiser as being the Super Dimensional Fortress 1, or SDF1. The government of Ontario, with consent from the Prime Minister's office, had given permission to the SDF1 to transfer the citizens of the city known as Macross off of the ship. The citizens of the city were to be given land near Toronto to rebuild what was once the glittering jewel of the Pacific Macross City. Now with this tragedy on our hands I can not allow the people of Macross City to relocate anywhere in Canada. As we speak the Canadian Parliament is addressing this issue at my urging. The vote before the members of parliament is whether or not to ban the SDF1 from ever setting down within the Canadian borders. If the people of Macross and the SDF1 are listening to this broadcast then I personally apologize to you and hope you can understand why I have called for this decision to be made. I will not allow for anymore innocent lives to be taken and I will not allow for the war with the aliens to be brought to our land. We have been living in peace until last night and if the SDF1 had not been over Canada then this tragedy would not have taken place. Therefore, I am ordering the SDF1 to leave Canadian airspace immediately or face being fired upon. If the SDF1 is not out of Canada by tomorrow then the Canadian military will be forced to take action. The choice is yours to make if you truly value the lives of those you are transporting on your ship. Thank you." The Prime Minister had said.  
  
Captain Gloval couldn't believe the government of Canada would change their minds so quickly. He had hoped they would still allow the people of Macross City to live in one of the provinces but that was not meant to be. With the decision made by both the Prime Minister and the Parliament the SDF1 was forced to leave Canada and it was the captain's job to inform the people of Macross of that decision. It wasn't something Gloval liked doing but he knew it had to be done.  
  
"People of Macross for over two years you have resided here on board the SDF1. We, the members of the RDF assigned to the SDF1, have welcomed you with open arms. We have worked side by side with you to provide you with an existence similar to the one you had upon the Earth. We had hoped that your time here upon the SDF1 would soon be at an end when the government of Ontario, Canada gave us permission to land and allow you to relocate. But it seems after the outcome of our last battle with the Zentreadi on the same night as the movie premier the governments of Ontario and the entire country of Canada have decided that the SDF1 and the people on board her are not welcome within their borders. It is because of that reason we must try and find another place for you to live in. And it is because of this reason that I ask all of you on board the SDF1 to be patient as we search for a new home for you and deal with the conflict with the Zentreadi. I apologize on behalf of the crew and reaffirm my promise to you that you will have a place to call home away from the SDF1. I thank you for your time." Captain Gloval had told the people of Macross on the news channel.  
  
Now almost a week after the battle had taken place Henry Gloval was about to make his case before the RDF Command via a teleconference. The RDF had to open the lines of communication between the humans and the Zentreadi before it was too late. There had to be a positive step towards peace between the two races. Henry Gloval knew something big needed to happen for the RDF Command to even consider the idea. But until that happened Captain Gloval was determined to do everything he could to convince them to begin peace talks with the Zentreadi.  
  
"Sir, I am receiving a visual transmission from the RDF Command." Michelle told him bringing Gloval out of his deep thought.  
  
"Put it on screen Michelle." Gloval said.  
  
"Eye sir putting transmission on screen now." Michelle replied. "Captain Gloval, Commander Hayes it is certainly nice to see you doing well after we last spoke. Lisa you know my offer for a transfer off the SDF1 and to the RDF Command is still good." Admiral Hayes said half faking and half truly being sincere.  
  
"Father you know that fake sincerity isn't going to work with me." Lisa replied.  
  
Gloval noticed that Admiral Hayes was the only one on the screen and began to wonder why the other members of the RDF Command did not bother to show up for the teleconference. There had to be a reason for the other members of the RDF Command not showing up for the meeting and Gloval was going to find out what it was.  
  
"Now that we have the pleasantries out of the way we can get to the reason I requested this meeting. I would like to put in a formal request for a line of communication to be opened between the RDF and the Zentreadi Command. It is time we begin to bring this war to an end." Gloval said.  
  
Admiral Hayes took in what the captain had said and tented his fingers in front of his face while resting his elbows on the table in front of him. Lisa knew right away what the gesture meant. Her father had done the same gesture on several occasions when she made a request for a new material possession or to be allowed to go somewhere. Her father was stalling the negative answer he was going to give. The gesture allowed for him to give Lisa a false sense of hope that he would say yes and then when he gave the decision, already made before she even finished her request, Lisa would be crushed and would end up running to her room in tears. The young commander knew her father wanted to break the people of the SDF1 so badly they wouldn't think twice about making the request again. It was always the result when he shot down one of her requests. Turning to the captain Lisa gave him a look that spoke volumes about her father and said she knew what he was going to say next.  
  
"No captain we will not making any peace negotiations anytime soon with the Zentreadi. You see we made our decision the moment you requested this meeting. That's the reason why I am the only one here. In fact captain we don't need the SDF1 anymore. You see we have a way to end this war once and for all. The Grand Cannon is finally completed and ready to be used. As of right now the SDF1 is no longer in service to the RDF. All crewmembers are no longer a part of the RDF. The people of Macross City are no longer welcome upon the Earth. Your final orders Captain Gloval are to return my daughter to me at once and leave the atmosphere of the Earth never to return. But then again once we fire the Grand Cannon the story we told the worlds' press agencies about the people of Macross dying in a terrorist attack will become true. We're going to do away with two thorns in our side in one shot the Zentreadi and the SDF1. You have forty-eight hours to comply with my orders Gloval." The admiral told them.  
  
Lisa was livid there was no way she was going to be forced to leave the ship just because her father had a guilty conscience about sacrificing her life. Her father and the members of the RDF Command had signed the death warrants for everyone on the Earth not just the people of the SDF1. If she understood what Captain Gloval had told her when they left Alaska the Grand Cannon would destroy the Earth by ripping the gravity from the planet killing most of the inhabitants except for those in specially built shelters operated by the RDF.  
  
"No father I will not be returning to you anytime soon. I'm sorry but I must disobey your order. If you want to kill the people of the SDF1 and the Earth with your cursed cannon then you're just going to have to kill me along with them. I don't ever want to have anything to do with you again. For the first time in my life I'm truly happy and you want to rob that from me. My duty is to this ship, its people, and the Alliance. If you don't understand that then I'm sorry you have such a cruel heart. I never thought the man I called father was a cold-hearted murderer. But then again as of right now I have no father Admiral Hayes you took him away from me. Good day sir." Lisa said with a deadly calm tone of voice.  
  
"Lisa, have you gone mad?" her father demanded.  
  
"Admiral Hayes I believe my commander has spoken for all of us. What you are doing is genocide and we will not stand for it. If we have to fight against the RDF to ensure peace then so be it. The military on this ship have another option open to them, one that promotes peace between the humans and the Zentreadi. We are prepared to take that option and a good number of my best crewmen already have. Your daughter in her speech to you has informed me and the members of my bridge crew that she is latest to accept this option. There are greater powers at work here and we will follow them if needed. So as the commander stated good day admiral." Captain Gloval answered for Lisa.  
  
The moment the captain had finished his speech Michelle cut the lines of communication to the RDF Command. The three bridge Scouts looked to their captain and to Lisa. They knew that the game as it were had changed dramatically. Lisa had accepted her role as a member of the Silver Alliance and the captain was willing to turn the SDF1 and the two aircraft carriers attached to it into the flagship for the Royal Lunarian Army if it meant saving the lives of everyone on board.  
  
"Captain, Lisa do you really mean what you just said?" Mina wondered.  
  
"Yes Mina I do. Even though I have yet to discuss that option with your princess and prince it is one I would take in a heartbeat." Gloval told her as he pulled out his pipe.  
  
"And I meant every word I said too Mina. I now realize that I can not turn my back on my duties to this ship or to Serena and Darien. And if defecting from the RDF is what it takes for true peace and this war to end then I am willing to accept the consequences of doing so." Lisa replied.  
  
********  
  
Part 17: All's fair in Love and Romance  
  
********  
  
Miriya Piryno had been on the SDF1 for a month now and had still yet to find the micronian that had defeated her in battle or fully understand micronian life. But for some reason Miriya felt as though she belonged on the SDF1. She felt as though she would find her true destiny on the ship run by the Micronians. And this was one destiny Miriya wanted to find.  
  
The Zentreadi pilot knew this particular day was different from all the others on the SDF1. It was something called the weekend and most of the Micronians would spend the day called Saturday going to the park, the movies, or one of the other recreational places on the SDF1. So far Miriya had tried the park and found it to be green and full of sights and smells she had never experienced before. Miriya had also checked out the movie when she finally was able to see White Dragon. She was disgusted and intrigued at the same time by what she saw on the screen. Today, however, Miriya wanted to try one of the many other recreational places on the SDF1. Today Miriya was going to go to the local arcade.  
  
"The Sakura Game Parlor." Miriya said reading the sign aloud.  
  
Looking in the window Miriya saw many people of all ages playing the games. At least she figured they were the games the sign mentioned. Some people were sitting down at rows of game terminals while others were crowded around a machine that had a claw that kept dipping in and out of a pile of odd little dolls. Some were trying their hand at the racing games. Still others sat in front of odd machines that pinged and gave out little metal balls. And then there was the large crowd standing around a three- dimensional flying game. It was this one that got Miriya's attention. Miriya knew she would spend her day inside and went through the automatic door.  
  
********  
  
The Sakura Game Parlor was modeled after the typical Japanese game parlor. In fact, the man who ran it happened to be Japanese. And for the members of a certain little group on the SDF1 it reminded them of home and the place they used to hang out in as teenagers, the Crown Fruit and Game Parlor. There was however one small difference between the Crown and the Sakura. The Sakura had a row of pachinko machines in the back where the Crown was targeted more for teenagers and university students. And it was at the Crown where most of the members of said group first met Andrew Furahata a sandy haired university student whose parents owned the Crown and who worked there with his little sister. Andrew was connected to every member of the group in one way or another.  
  
Six members of the group of fourteen who called the Crown their home away from home had gone to the Sakura on that Saturday to get away from the pressures of the war with the Zentreadi. By a sheer coincidence their entire group of ten had the day off and they were going to spend it any way they could. Once inside the Sakura the blonde in the group spotted a racing game near the back and decided to give it a try remembering the day the Crown had brought another member of their larger group to them.  
  
"Man I haven't played the racing game since the day Amara lapped me at the Crown." The blonde commented to her friends.  
  
"Mina face it you were never all the good on that game." The brunette replied.  
  
"Lita watch what you're doing okay." A tale male brunette said.  
  
"Yes I know my heart!" Lita told him.  
  
"Oh yeah Lita time to put your mouth where your money is." Mina challenged.  
  
"Mina you almost had it right. It's put your money where your mouth is." The blue haired member of the group corrected her.  
  
"Okay Ice princess calm down!" A tall male reddish blonde said.  
  
"I know Zack and I will!" Amy told him.  
  
"Whatever Amy let's just do this Lita." Mina said.  
  
"Mina don't do over board my love goddess!" Kevin said.  
  
"I won't my knight in shining armor!" Mina told him.  
  
Lita, the brunette, began cracking her knuckles one by one and went over to the right side of the racing game followed closely by her what appeared to be boyfriend. Mina went over to the left side and sat down also followed by her own boyfriend. Both girls then placed two cards in the card reader above the coin slot. When the welcome screen came up Mina and Lita chose their cars and waited for the race to begin. The green light flashed and the girls took off. The race was pretty close with the lead constantly changing until Mina's foot slipped near the end letting Lita win by a narrow margin. Lita then turned to her friend and gave her a hug smile and a quick V with her fingers.  
  
"Man I would have won that one if my foot hadn't slipped." Mina complained, "I'm going to go find the Sailor V game."  
  
Mina then got up from the racing game and went over to the rows of game consoles to search for the game designed after her exploits as Sailor V in London.  
  
"Mina love calm down please!" Kevin said.  
  
"Kevin please leave me alone!" Mina scolded him.  
  
"No Mina I will not! See you guys later!" Kevin said following after her.  
  
********  
  
Serena was supposed to have the day off and for a good portion of it she would. But when the captain of the SDF1 wanted to speak with you there was no saying no especially since he learned the truth about the Scouts and Generals. Henry Gloval, captain of the SDF1, didn't want to talk to Serena Tuskino first lieutenant in the RDF he wanted to talk to Serena Tuskino reincarnated princess of the Lunarian Kingdom. The message sent to Serena asked her to meet him at the local noodle house for lunch to discuss their current situation. Henry Gloval had a proposal to make to make to the moon princess.  
  
Serena, dressed in a pink skirt, white turtle neck sweater, green denim jacket, white tights, and brown boots, walked into the noodle house and spotted Captain Gloval sitting in a corner booth. Serena walked over to the captain and sat down with a polite smile on her face.  
  
"Thank you for coming." Gloval said.  
  
"You're quite welcome captain." Serena replied.  
  
The waitress in charge of the section the booth was in came over and took their lunch orders when she saw Serena sit down across from Captain Gloval. Serena ordered a bowl of soba noodle soup with tofu and peas in a spicy wasabi infused chicken broth and the captain ordered a bowl of udon noodles with tofu, bean sprouts, and vegetables. Serena and Gloval also ordered a couple of glasses of Asahi beer to have with their meal. When the waitress left to get their drinks Gloval got straight down to business.  
  
"Let me get to the reason why I asked you here today. As you probably know the battle that took place on the night of the movie premier resulted in catastrophic losses. The entire Canadian City of Thunder Bay in Ontario was demolished in the attack resulting in a great loss of life. Because of this the Canadian government no longer wishes to take in any people from the SDF1 in any of its provinces." Gloval said, "But that is not all. The other day Admiral Hayes of the RDF Command informed me that the SDF1 has been relieved from active duty. He then proceeded to tell me that we were to return to space and that the people of Macross City were not to leave this ship. He also told me that the RDF Command will not be making any efforts towards opening a line of communication with the Zentreadi and that they had their own methods of ending the war, the Grand Cannon. The RDF Command not only intends on blowing up the Zentreadi fleet but the SDF1 right along with it. Of course both Lisa and I were livid when we heard this news. That was when I told him we had an option available to us that we would take if needed. And that is why I asked you here today."  
  
The waitress returned with the beers and placed them down in front of Gloval and Serena. Henry took a sip of the cold brew to calm his nerves before continuing on with the conversation. He hoped the young princess would be willing to go along with his idea of accepting the SDF1, its crew, and the people of Macross as members of the Lunarian Kingdom and the Royal Army. It was the only chance the people on board the SDF1 had of surviving the war with the Zentreadi.  
  
"What option did you have in mind captain?" Serena asked him.  
  
"I was wondering if you and your people would be willing to take in the SDF1 and the people on board as members of your kingdom. I am willing to defect this ship and her crew from the Robotech Defense Force if it meant giving the people of Macross City a chance at life." He told her.  
  
Serena took a small sip from her glass as she thought about the captain's request. If the people of Macross City were to become citizens of the Lunarian Kingdom it would mean taking the throne before she married Mamoru and before Crystal Tokyo or the Lunar Palace had a chance to be realized. But if she didn't allow them to take this option then over seventy thousand people would die at the hands of the beaurocrats running the RDF. They believed violence was the only way to solve things not peace.  
  
"Captain, I have given your situation some thought and have decided to allow you that option. We will take in the people of Macross City and the SDF1 and her crew but only if there is no other alternative left. We must make every effort to open the lines of communication with the Zentreadi. It is the only way to end this war. I feel something big will take place very soon that will change the minds of the members of the RDF Command. All we have to do is wait for it." Serena told Gloval.  
  
********  
  
Meanwhile as this was all going on Rick was busy visiting his dear friend Roy Fokker who was still in the hospital thanks to what Khyron did to him. He was still hoping that his would be big brother would wake up sooner or later.  
  
"Hey Roy it's me Rick! Well guess what Lisa and I are seeing each other now and until you get out of that bed I'll take care of your squad. I don't want to keep your command so please get better soon!"  
  
"Well it's also official Minmei really has moved on with her life as well! She's going to marry that cousin of hers. I kind of find that weird though! I only hope Minmei will be happy cause I am actually glad she's out of my life for a change!"  
  
"Lisa's afraid of what her father and the RDF will say as well as for what the Canadian government after what happened a couple of days ago. I just hope we can work all this out." Rick told his friend.  
  
Rick was about to continue until he heard. "Will you shut up!" A quiet voice said.  
  
"Huh who said that?" Rick said standing up.  
  
"I did you big goof off! You're giving me a bigger head ache then I already have!" The voice said.  
  
Rick looked around until his eyes came upon the weary eyes of Lt. Commander Roy Fokker.  
  
"Roy!" Rick screamed in delight.  
  
"Damn Hunter not so loud jeez!" Roy wrenched.  
  
"Oh sorry man! Doctor please come here quick!" Rick called out the door.  
  
A few minutes later a tall woman came into the room. "Yes what is wrong Sir!" The doctor asked.  
  
"Doctor Lt. Commander Fokker is finally awake please contact Miss Claudia Grant on the Bridge and let her know!" Rick told her.  
  
"Yes alright! Mr. Fokker it is good to see you finally among us!" She told him.  
  
********  
  
Max Sterling, like the rest of the Veritech Squads, had the day off. The young second lieutenant had decided to spend his first day off in a long time at the Sakura Game Parlor. He had heard Serena and Lita talk about how they used to spend their teen years in a game parlor back in Tokyo. It was a great way to spend time with friends and it was a lot of fun. Max recalled his life on Earth before he and his parents moved to Macross the year before the launch from Australia and the times he and his friends would spend in the local arcade. They had a lot of fun playing the more sophisticated video games especially the ones involving racing or flying.  
  
Max enjoyed playing the games at the Sakura just as much as he enjoyed the games back in the Wallaby Arcade in Melbourne. And while he was good on the normal games Max was an expert at the three dimensional fighter jet game. So far no one could beat Max at the fighter game. Walking into the Sakura Max went over to the game seen from the street through the window, the three dimensional fighter jet game. As usual there was a good sized crowd gathered around the game.  
  
Etiquette in the game parlor stated that a person played a game until they lost or wanted to move on. And with the more popular games like the three dimensional fighter jet game people usually lined up to play the winner of the current game. As it stood when Max walked over to the game a young woman with green hair was smoking the competition and had yet to loose since sitting down at her side of the game. Max was amazed at how well she had been doing at the game and how quickly she had been defeating her opponents. In the short time he was there she had defeated three challengers.  
  
The young woman was on her fourth challenger when Max placed his frequent player card down on the console to indicate he would play her next. It didn't take long for the fourth challenger to be defeated and leave the area in a huff. Max then sat down where the prior challenger had been and placed his card in the slot just above the coin slots. The young woman, not having a card, placed her money in the coin slot for her next turn at the game.  
  
"Alright challenger," she said, "do you know the conditions of this game?"  
  
"No but I'm willing to bet you'll tell me them." Max replied.  
  
"We each put the money for the game out on the table and if I win I get all the money and if you win you get all the money." She told him.  
  
"Sounds fair enough." Max said as he pulled out the coins for the game and placed them on the console in front of him.  
  
With that said they both pushed the start button on their side of the console and waited for the game to begin.  
  
********  
  
Serena needed some time to relax after her lunch with the captain. After discussing the possibility of making the SDF1 and everyone on board members of the Lunarian Kingdom Serena needed time to not think of royal or military duties and the best place to do that would be at the Sakura Game Parlor in the shopping district of town. Heading over to the Sakura Serena noticed the large crowd gathered in the window where the three dimensional fighter jet game was visible. Curiosity abound Serena headed straight for the crowd after entering the game parlor.  
  
There before her at the controls of the game Serena spotted Max Sterling one of her good friends. Max was playing against a young woman with green hair and brown eyes. Both players seemed to be holding their own with the game. Max would make a move and then the girl each one dodging the move made by the other.  
  
"This is the longest game since she's sat down on the red side." Someone in the crowd commented.  
  
Serena knew right away that there was something special about the young woman playing the game. She was a lot like Max a flying prodigy. Serena knew she had to get the young woman to enter the next round of training sessions. She wanted her to pilot the Veritech.  
  
"She's the one. She's the one person who'll get the RDF Command to listen to us. I just know it. And I know Max will be involved in it somehow." Serena thought aloud but not loud enough for other to hear her comments.  
  
********  
  
Mina had no trouble beating the Sailor V game. After all when she gave the game designers her honest feedback as the Sailor V model Mina was allowed to play the game before it was released to the game parlors. And it also helped that she was Sailor V in real life. With the game beaten Mina was looking for something else to occupy her time. That was when she spotted the crowd around the fighter jet game. Pulling Kevin along with her and grabbing the attention of Lita, Nathan and the others Mina made her way over to the crowd.  
  
The group was surprised to see Serena standing amongst the crowd of onlookers. They knew she had a luncheon meeting with captain to discuss the recent events dealing with the RDF Command but they didn't think she would be able to come to the Sakura. They could tell Serena was very interested in one of the players sitting at the game console by the way she was looking at her. Why she was interested was still a total mystery.  
  
"Man that girl playing against Max is real good." Lita commented.  
  
"I'd have to agree with you there Lita." Amy said.  
  
"There's something different about her." Rei added.  
  
"Yeah, there's no way anyone can be that good and not be a pilot military or private." Mina said as the group headed over by Serena.  
  
"I have to agree with Mina she really is good!" Kevin whistled.  
  
"Boy what was that whistle for?" Mina asked.  
  
"Oh now my beautiful love goddess! I was simply showing respect for her piloting skills! I am only in love with you lover." Kevin whispered into her ear before kissing her check.  
  
"Good save!" Justin said after he came in earlier.  
  
"We can't take him anywhere!" Nathan said.  
  
"Tell me about it!" Zack laughed.  
  
"Hey I heard that!" Justin yelled.  
  
"GOOD!" They both said.  
  
Serena noticed the gang standing near her and smiled at them before speaking to them.  
  
"Hey guys have any luck on the games?" Serena asked.  
  
"Lita beat Mina on the racing game at the last moment when Mina's foot slipped off the gas pedal. Then we went off to play some of the other games breaking off into little groups. I guess Mina wanted something she could beat so she went over to the Sailor V game dragging poor Kevin with her while I went over to the Zodiac puzzle game with Zack and the others messed around on the pachinko machines." Amy told her.  
  
"Yeah we love those pachinko games!" Justin smirked.  
  
"Justin do shut up!" Nathan told him.  
  
"Please you both need to be quiet! You're giving me a head ache." Zack said holding his head.  
  
"Oh my poor baby! Okay that's it you boys need to behave now hear me?" Amy mocked.  
  
"Yes mother!" the other men said, which caused the rest of the group to laugh.  
  
"So what's the deal with the girl playing against Max?" Lita asked Serena.  
  
"I have no idea Lita. All I know is something very important is going to happen soon and those two will be at the center of it." Serena replied.  
  
********  
  
The game had reached the twelfth level and didn't show any signs of letting up. Max had to admit the young woman he was playing against was very good. It was almost as though she was a military pilot but he knew she wasn't. Max like everyone else in the military knew who all the Veritech pilots were and the young woman was not one of them. The more Max played against her the more Max wanted to get to know her. There was something about her that had him intrigued. Max was falling for her and he was falling hard.  
  
Max continued firing at the asteroids and the opposing fighter on the red side. That was when he noticed an opening and a small flaw in her defenses. Any normal person wouldn't notice it but as a military pilot Max was trained to notice such things and take advantage of them. Waiting for the right moment Max let one of his missiles fly at the red fighter. The fighter was hit by the missile and blew up seconds later ending the game. Max then let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding.  
  
"You're a good pilot. Probably one of the best I've ever faced. I look forward to playing against you again someday." Max told her with a genuine smile, "I also want to get to know you better. How about we go out for dinner. I know a great place. Meet me at the park overlook in an hour if you're interested."  
  
Max didn't know if he had said something wrong or not because the young woman stared out into space with a look of fear and recognition before getting a look of anger upon her face. She then stood up and turned to run out of the game parlor. Max was concerned for her because she was taking her loss too hard and it showed in her body language.  
  
"I hope I didn't offend her." Max thought aloud.  
  
"I have a feeling things will turn out just fine Max." a familiar voice said from behind him.  
  
Max turned around and saw Serena and her friends standing at the front of the crowd. Serena had a reassuring look upon her face that had him feeling better.  
  
"Will it Serena?" Max wondered.  
  
"Serena is right if you believe things can work out for the better then they will." Amy told him.  
  
"Yeah Amy's right you can trust Serena!" Zack told him  
  
"Thanks guys. I better get going because I have to see if I'm going to have a date tonight." Max replied with a smile.  
  
Max then left the fighter jet game to head for the park and what would eventually become an evening he would never forget.  
  
********  
  
Claudia was about to go on her break when the call from the hospital came in to the bridge. Fearing the worst Claudia had picked up the phone and nervously waited for what the doctor had to say. When she heard the news that Roy had awoken during a visit from his friend Rick Hunter Claudia began to cry but she wasn't sad one bit. The tears that fell down her face were tears of pure joy. Racing out of the bridge Claudia knew she had to get to the hospital to see Roy. There was so much she wanted to tell him but what she really wanted to do was kiss him and see him smile at her once more. As she made her way to the city Claudia had once again thanked God, Serenity, and Serena for giving Roy a second chance at life.  
  
When she reached the ICU in the hospital Claudia was greeted with the sight of Rick Hunter talking to Roy. Entering the room Claudia could hear what Rick was telling Roy.  
  
"Minmei and I are no longer going out. We broke up with each other and moved on although I think she may have been cheating on me before the official break up. But I'm not mad about that because I've moved on." Rick told Roy.  
  
"Really and who's this mystery woman who captured your heart so quickly?" Roy wanted to know curiosity eating away at him.  
  
"Well you may not believe it but it's Lisa Hayes." Rick said with a smile.  
  
"You're right I don't believe it." Roy deadpanned.  
  
Claudia tried hard not to laugh and give away that she was watching the two close friends. Despite all that had happened to him recently Roy still had his trademark sense of humor.  
  
"Lisa and I are really close now Roy. We've even spent the night together a couple of times already. I think it has to do with our connection to Serena and the others. Before I woke up I started having these dreams which I later found out were actually memories. I had a whole other life a long time ago and so did Lisa. We even had sibling's back then. The way Serena explains it we were meant to find one another again just like she and Darien found each other." Rick said.  
  
"So what's all this about you taking over my squad Hunter?" Roy wondered.  
  
"Well with everything that happened the captain felt it would be for the best if I got a promotion. In fact, a lot of us got promotions. Serena and I are now first lieutenants with the others becoming second lieutenants. Anyhow the captain decided that until you were able to return to duty I was to be put in charge of your squad." Rick told Roy before saying the next part quietly, "Also since my plane is toast they want me to fly your plane."  
  
Claudia watched as Rick began to back away slowly. She knew as well as he did how Roy felt about his plane. Next to her it was his baby and no one touched it unless they had a very good reason. Roy usually got very mad and defensive when it came to his plane.  
  
"I'm not mad you're going to be flying her but you do have to promise me that you will bring her back in one piece after each and every battle." Roy said.  
  
"Don't worry I will." Rick replied.  
  
Claudia decided it was the perfect time to make her presence in the room known. She had been waiting for well over a month for this day to come and now that it had she wanted to spend as much time as possible with her fiancé. Walking over to the bed Claudia began crying once again. She was very happy to have Roy back in her life. All she wanted to do was be there with him.  
  
"Hey there handsome." Claudia said through her tears of joy.  
  
"Hey there yourself beautiful." Roy replied with a smile.  
  
Claudia couldn't hold it in much longer and launched herself at Roy enveloping him in a hug.  
  
"Oh Roy!" she cried as she began planting kisses all over him.  
  
From his seat next to Roy's bed Rick let out a small laugh as he watched Roy react to the hugging and kissing Claudia was giving him. Rick knew the two lovers needed to spend some time together alone before the doctor came to give Roy a thorough check up before deciding if he was healthy enough to be moved into a private room.  
  
"Well, looks like you two could use some time alone before the check up. I'll see you later Roy." Rick said as he got up from his chair.  
  
"See ya Little Buddy and take care of that lady of yours she needs you just as much as you need her." Roy replied with a smile.  
  
********  
  
The hour had passed by rather quickly for Max. Whether it was the excitement of the possible date with the mysterious young woman or trying to figure out why she had recognized him when he didn't the hour seemed to be over as soon as it began. Standing in the park overlook Max watched the city below him. Over seventy thousand people called the inside of the SDF1 their home. At first Max was just like them. He and his family had come to Macross Island because a better opportunity had opened up within the investment firm his father worked for. But when the Zentreadi had attacked and the island became caught in the space fold the lives of the Sterling family had changed. Max's father went from being the manager in a large international investment firm to becoming one of the men responsible for establishing a working financial system for the people of Macross City.  
  
At first Max took life on the SDF1 one day at a time volunteering to help get the people of the city settled in. Then he saw the signs at the local rec. center where he volunteered to help the younger kids with their studies. They had advertised a wave of recruitment for the RDF. More importantly they were looking for Veritech fighter pilots. With being months and possibly years from home the RDF on the SDF1 was going to need new fighter pilots to replace the ones lost in battle. Max loved planes and although he loved helping out at the rec. center Max knew he had to do something that would benefit the entire city of Macross. That was when he joined the RDF to become a Veritech pilot.  
  
Max loved every minute of the time he spent in the RDF as a pilot. He had learned early on that he was perfectly suited for the Veritech and that he loved flying. The RDF had looked past his glasses and allowed him to continue on with the training. Max took to it like a duck took to water. And he took his role as a military man seriously. Once in the military Max made new friends. He became friends with his commanding officer Rick Hunter, and his fellow pilots Ben Dixon, Kevin Fukada, Nathan Sanada, Justin Tanaka, and the members of the Lunar Squad. Max had even made friends with the girls that ran the day shift on the bridge who turned out to be the love interests of three of his friends on his squad as well as two of the military doctors.  
  
Max knew however, that such friendships wouldn't last. During the time when Rick Hunter and Roy Fokker were both in the hospital he had lost one of his friends. Ben was caught up in the crossfire during a pod attack. There was nothing the temporary commander of the Vermillion Squad, Nathan Sanada, could do to save him. There had been many losses before but nothing like the loss of a close friend. Max vowed from that day on no one would die while protecting the SDF1 and the people who called her home.  
  
********  
  
Miriya was seething with rage. She had found herself during the hour before she was supposed to meet with Max confused and angry. On the one hand she wanted to kill the man who had twice beaten her. But on the other hand she wanted to get to know him better. He seemed kind, although she didn't understand what that was, and nice. His words to her were said in a gentle and sincere manner and somehow it had touched her heart in way she didn't quite understand. But the overriding thoughts of revenge and rage had led Miriya to a local knife shop where she proceeded to plunk down every last penny of money she managed to get on a fairly good sized hunting knife. Miriya was going to use the knife to kill the man she had been searching for, for over a month.  
  
By the time she had reached the park Miriya had noticed Max was looking at the city with his back to her. He didn't seem to notice Miriya coming up behind him as he was too lost in thought. This is too perfect, Miriya thought as she drew her knife. With the knife drawn Miriya prepared to stick it into the back of the man standing before her. And when he was gone she would then be able to return to Azonia and her life as a Zentreadi pod pilot.  
  
That was when it happened. For the first time in her life Miriya felt the fear and guilt rush through her body. She began to wonder about her life as a pod pilot in the Zentreadi military. And the more she thought about it the more she knew she didn't want to return to that life. Miriya wanted something more. Miriya wanted the man standing before her. But her duty to the Zentreadi military had to come first. Or did it? The new feelings rushing through Miriya were telling her she could be happy staying a micronian. Miriya had made up her mind, she wouldn't kill any more.  
  
"I can't do this!" Miriya said as she dropped the knife to the ground.  
  
For the first time in her life Miriya Piryno cried.  
  
Max turned around and saw the tears coming down her face. Her face was a mixture of fear and anger. Why she was afraid and why she was angry Max intended to find out. He needed to know if he was going to take the first step in pursuing a relationship with her something he desperately wanted to do. Max had somehow wanted to fit into the little group that was forming around Serena and Darien. It seemed everyone he knew was somehow connected to them and he wanted to belong to that group. Max wanted to be whole and somehow the woman before him would help him do just that.  
  
"You can't do what?" Max wondered.  
  
"I can't kill you. I want to kill you but I just can't seem to make myself go through with it." Miriya said between sobs.  
  
"Why would you want to kill me?" Max asked curious as to what he had done to her.  
  
"You beat me twice in battle and then again today at the Sakura Game Parlor on that fighter jet game. And each time you beat me you said things to me about how I was a good pilot. Well, I'm not a good pilot. A good Zentreadi pilot does not let the enemy beat her. Now in order to avenge myself I must kill you with my own two hands but I can't do it." Miriya explained.  
  
Max's face got a look of fear on it when he heard her mention she was a Zentreadi. He began to wonder how in the world a Zentreadi woman could be standing in front of him roughly the same size he was. Not being around to see the micronization chambers or hear the explanation of why the Zentreadi where the way they were Max just couldn't understand it.  
  
"If you're a Zentreadi then how can you be standing in front of me?" he asked her.  
  
"The Zentreadi are able to go through a process called micronization where our bodies are shrunk down in size. I went through the process so that I may find you and kill you. But the time I spent looking for you opened my eyes to the way of Micronian life. Now I don't want to go back to the Zentreadi military and that means letting you live." Miriya explained.  
  
"Well that explains a lot. By the way I'm Max Sterling a lieutenant in the RDF. What's your name?" Max said as he held his hand out for her.  
  
"I am Miriya Piryno commander of the Quadranos an elite female battlepod squadron." Miriya told him.  
  
"Miriya huh? That's a beautiful name for a beautiful woman. And I'm not just saying that."  
  
"You think I'm beautiful?"  
  
"I sure do. From the moment I first laid eyes on you in the Sakura I wanted to get to know you better. It's the reason I made the date with you and the reason I want to keep that date."  
  
"Then I would be honored to try out this date you speak of Max Sterling."  
  
Miriya then picked up the knife and took it to a nearby trashcan tossing it in there. She no longer needed it because she no longer wanted to kill. Miriya was at peace for the first time ever.  
  
********  
  
Rick, after spending time with Roy in the hospital, was going on a date with Lisa to a small Irish pub. It was the one place he knew of that didn't remind him of Minmei and the short relationship they had together. The pub, the Crionnacht, was decorated like any other Irish pub with dark wood panneling on the bottom half of the walls and dark butter yellow paint on the top half. On the walls were Guiness advertisements and other popular Irish ads and beer signs. The music playing in The Crionnacht was a wide variety ranging from Irish and British groups like U2, the Corrs, and Oasis to American and international groups like Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Midnight Oil, and Third Eye Blind.  
  
Walking into the pub Rick and Lisa saw a fairly good sized crowd of people gathered at the bar and the tables surrounding it. Servers and bartenders all dressed in kahki pants and dark green golf shirts with black aprons around their waists ran about the pub going from table to table and person to person. It looked like any typical Saturday night back on Earth. Spotting an open booth Rick and Lisa went to sit down to eat their dinner.  
  
Rick checked out the crowd while he waited for the server to come to the table and noticed Max seated at a small table with a girl Rick had never seen before. Her hair was green and her eyes were an odd shade of brown. Max looked relaxed and happy dressed in a pair of kahkis and a dark blue oxford shirt wirh a brown leather vest. His date on the other hand looked stiff, nervous, and scared even though she looked perfectly fine in a pink sweater set with a loose dark kahki satinny skirt with little pink flowers that ended just above the knee.  
  
"Well I'll be. In all the time I've known him I don't think I've ever seen Max Sterling go on a date." Rick commented as he looked over the menu.  
  
"Well there's a first time for everything." Lisa replied as she glanced over at the couple.  
  
"There's something about the girl though. I don't think I've seen hair that's naturally that color. Sure I've seen people with hair so dark it has highlights that look that color but never naturally green."  
  
"Maybe she dyed it."  
  
"Lisa I've had friends dye their hair that color and it never looked that way."  
  
By that time the server had come over to the booth and took their order. Lisa ordered some Shepard's pie and a Guiness while Rick opted for an order of bangers and mash with a Bass Ale. Rick had reached the legal drinking age in Macross during the time the ship traveled from Pluto to Earth. At nineteen and fully recovered and off the pain killers Rick was able to enjoy some alcohol now and then. And Rick had found out he loved Irish beers.  
  
"So whose place do you want to go to tonight?" Rick asked Lisa.  
  
"We can go to mine. That way I can cook you breakfast in the morning. I haven't had the chance to do that yet." Lisa replied in a way that told Rick she wanted to spend the night together again.  
  
********  
  
Max and Miriya's date at the Crionnacht ended that night with a kiss. When Max had suggested he give Miriya a kiss to show her how much he enjoyed the date the former Zentraedi pilot backed away from him as though he were diseased. It took Max a good five minutes of explaining that a kiss was one way humans showed they cared for each other. He also explained that the other ways waited until a person was married before they used them. Feeling a little better about what Max wanted to do Miriya let the blue haired pilot kiss her on the lips. Taking things one step at a time Max gave Miriya a simple closed mouth kiss for fifty seconds before breaking it off. And as he left Miriya standing outside the hotel she was staying at Max saw the Zentraedi place her fingers over her lips where he had kissed her.  
  
Upon falling asleep in their beds that night Max and Miriya dreamed that night. Their dreams were simple ones and were exactly the same. Both Max and Miriya found themselves outside in an elaborate garden on the moon at night. Max wore a blue and gold suite of clothes with epilets on it that reminded him of something worn in the eighteen century in Europe. Miriya was dressed in an off the shoulder gown of pink and white and her hair was pulled up into a bun. Around Miriya's neck was a simple gold pendant with a blue stone in the center.  
  
"Maximillion as the science officer of the royal army and the prince of Mercury you certainly understand what this alliance between your Silver Alliance and the people of Zentraedi Prime means." Miriya said.  
  
"Of course with your technology and the power of the protoculture we can protect our people from armies like the rebels on Earth." Max replied.  
  
"Yes that is true. But it also means that I'll be the ambassador to the Silver Alliance and we will be able to see each other on a regular basis."  
  
"I'd like that Miriya."  
  
"As would I. Ever since I met you I've fallen in love with you Maximillion."  
  
"I love you too."  
  
With that said Max leaned in and gave Miriya a kiss on the lips. This time, however, the kiss was not a simple fifty second peck on the lips. This kiss was long and drawn out and full of passion. Max ran his tongue over Miriya's lips in order to gain entry to her mouth. Miriya answered the request by opening her mouth and letting him explore every inch of it. Max tasted the unique flavor of her mouth as Miriya let a moan escape her lips. A few moments later they broke the kiss only to begin a long make out session filled with kissing, touching, nibbling, and sucking.  
  
The make out session ended some fifteen minutes later when a young woman with short stylized blue hair in a blue gown with a simple gold tiara appeared in the garden. The young woman was sent to find Max and Miriya and bring them back to the party inside the palace.  
  
"Max mother and father are mad because you left the party without so much as a word to either of them." She said using her pet name for her brother.  
  
"Amelia you know I wouldn't do anything to disobey our parents deliberately." Max replied to his sister who was older than him by two years.  
  
"I realize that but they're still mad at you for leaving and want you back at the party. I also think Miriya should return as well. It looks bad when the Zentraedi ambassador goes missing from the party."  
  
"All right we'll head back. By the way where is that consort of yours? You know the general!"  
  
"Oh um Zoicite is waiting for me inside where you two should be so please come back inside now!" Amelia told the two love birds.  
  
With that Max and Miriya followed Amelia princess and Scouts of Mercury back to the party at the Lunarian palace.  
  
To be continued! Hope you're enjoying our little stories! Next part: Proposals stay tuned and we'll show you what happens next!  
  
Coming Soon to a Mediaminer site near you! 'Robotech Warriors: The First Years' Learn a new prospective of the sailor moon story as told by Chibi Halo and myself. We'll follow the first years of Serena's life and find out the real reason she hates to do homework. We'll also watch relationships bloom and get torn asunder only to be found again! This is a prequel that I came up with and Chibi Halo had some great thoughts to use in it so I'm going to do what she had in mind! 


	19. Part 18

Disclaimer: I do not now nor have I ever owned the characters of Sailor Moon, Robotech. People I want to say something about Miss Lynn Minmei. I don't like her. I like the Rick/Lisa romance and Minmei just gets in the way. So if you like her don't read this, however, if you want to see a new bitchy side to Minmei please enjoy! At first she'll be nice until the Miss Macross pageant then watch out people Rick will leave her in the dust for Lisa don't worry I slowly bring Rick and Lisa together. Again I want to thank Chibi Halo who wrote 'Sailor Moon Macross' without this story wouldn't have existed. As always please R&R this so I know how it is coming across to people! Chibi Halo I would like to know what you think as well! Chibi Halo there might be a few scenes in my story but I pray you won't mind. One more thing for the beginning of the first few chapters I will use your chapter names, I will come up with my own after the last chapter you named. People who haven't read her story yet please do it is a great read! Please enjoy and now on with the story! This is the only Disclaimer I will write! I just wanted to thank Chibi Halo for being my beta reader!  
  
Authors note: When ever I am talking about Kevin, Nathan, Justin and Zack as a group I will refer to them as the four earth generals as that is what they were suppose to be in the manga before Beryl brainwashed them!  
  
Robotech Warriors Book 1 By thunderbird with Sections From Chibi Halo  
  
Time marches on. Days turn into weeks and soon weeks became a month. For a month solid since the SDF1 returned to space to orbit around the Earth nothing happened, outside the spaceship that is. Inside the SDF1 the month brought about many things. A new couple had formed and began spending all their time together. Roy Fokker was moved out of the ICU, placed in a regular room, and had begun physical therapy. Rick and Lisa had debated moving in with each other on several occasions after spending the night together at Lisa's several times but came to the conclusion they were not ready yet. Serena and Darien continued to be the wonderful loving couple they always were.  
  
For the Zentreadi the month brought about changes as well. Rico, Bron, and Konda gave their report to Breetai who requested he take back his position of command over the mission to recover the SDF1. Dolza complied putting both Khyron and Azonia under his control. And while Breetai was back in control of the Solar system fleet once more the three former spies had decided they wanted to return to the SDF1 and the Micronian way of life. They had experienced too much of the culture and too many emotions to return to the ways of the Zentreadi. Like Miriya they no longer wanted that life.  
  
On Earth the month was spent by the RDF Command trying to get the United Earth Government of the UN to approve use of the Grand Cannon. Unfortunately for them and luckily for the people of earth the Canadian government had begun a month long debate demanding that the RDF be disbanded. They claimed that the RDF was not concerned with the welfare of the people of Earth and only wanted to destroy the aliens parked in orbit above the planet. Canada threatened secession from the UEG if the RDF were allowed to move forward with what they called their ultimate plan. Canada's neighbor to the south and the biggest supporters of the RDF the United States agreed with their NAFTA and NATO ally and threatened to cut RDF funding of the Grand Cannon project of they went through with their plans to fire the cannon. Congress pressured the President and in turn the President sent word to the UEG ambassador to not vote on allowing the RDF permission to fire the cannon. The world was beginning to distrust the RDF all together, especially after they learned the military group had lied about the SDF1 and the people of Macross.  
  
Yes the month brought about many changes for many people. With the Earth poised and ready for a great change, the RDF ready for a great wake up call, Max and Miriya discovering more and more about each other, Rick and Lisa becoming quite serious in their relationship, and Serena and Darien becoming closer and closer to taking the next step the next logical step in progression was about to take place. Two men were about to join one Lt. Commander Roy Fokker in the time-honored tradition of planning the most wonderful of events a wedding. Two men were about to end up in the same place at the same time, the jewelry store. And two unique and very different engagement rings were about to leave the case they were placed in on display.  
  
********  
  
Part 18: Proposals  
  
********  
  
Lt. Max Sterling Veritech fighter pilot in the RDF was the latest person to discover a hidden past. Not only was he once a member of the House Mercury and a science officer in the Royal Lunarian Army of the Silver Alliance he was also in love with a Zentreadi. The dreams Max had been having ever since he began his relationship with Miriya Piryno ex Zentreadi pod pilot revealed a lot about himself. He had yet to learn why he was having those dreams because it would mean revealing to the others that a Zentreadi was on board the SDF1. Max didn't want anyone to know about Miriya just yet. He was afraid of what the captain and the others connected with the command of the ship might do to Miriya if they learned the truth.  
  
The month they had spent together was heaven. Max didn't want to give it up. He knew from the moment he laid eyes on her in the Sakura that Miriya was the woman for him. She was going to be the one he would spend the rest of his life with and the one he was going to have a family with. But that was the one thing about her he was unsure of. Max didn't know if a Zentreadi woman was physically capable of actually having a child. Max wanted children and if it meant adopting or getting someone to donate an egg and being a surrogate mother then he would do whatever it took to have a family with Miriya. He wanted it that badly and he wanted her to be his wife even worse.  
  
Max had made up his mind that day that he would be with Miriya for the rest of his life. And Max knew exactly where to find the perfect ring to give to her. Max had made up his mind and was going to pick out an engagement ring and ask Miriya to be his wife. Hopefully Miriya would accept the ring and everything that went with it. This was going to be the biggest step in his life.  
  
********  
  
Darien Shields newly appointed lieutenant, member of the Lunar Squad, and Prince of Earth was going to propose to the one woman he loved with all of his heart. He had already given her a ring before he left Tokyo to study abroad at Harvard in Boston in America but that was a simple little promise ring. The gold band with the tiny pink stone signified his love for his princess and that he would save himself for her. It was hard but Darien had managed to stay pure and not date another woman while he was gone for the entire year. When Darien had returned from Boston he was greeted by a slightly more mature Serena who had grown in strength and beauty while he was away. It was these qualities that made Darien want to propose to her after being together off and on for almost ten years.  
  
Darien had seen the perfect little ring for Serena four years ago at the OSA-P back in Tokyo but the ring was never to be his. Serena had made the decision to go into the RDF and the he and the others decided to follow in her footsteps. Then with the war between the humans and the Zentreadi starting two years later Darien knew he wouldn't be able to go back to Tokyo to see if the ring was even still there. Now with the possibility of going home up in the air Darien had given up on the ring and set his sights on another jewelry store in Macross City.  
  
Darien had gone by the small jewelry store on several occasions and noticed a ring in the window display case. The ring had a perfect marquis cut diamond set in gold surrounded by several tiny stones each one the exact same color as the stones on Serena's locket. Then on either side of the stones in pink and white gold were a rose and a crescent moon. The first time he had seen the ring Darien fell in love with it and knew he had to have it. And after three months of saving Darien Shields was going to by the engagement ring just in time for Serena's twenty-fourth birthday.  
  
The jewelry store was almost empty save for a few people getting watches repaired or some old gold jewelry cleaned. The need to buy things like engagement rings and other jewelry was not seen as a necessity and put a huge dent in the sales end of business. No one on board the SDF1 had seen a need to get married and start families so the need for engagement rings and wedding bands had fallen. The owners of the only jewelry store in town had tried everything they could to keep their business going. And the sight of the young man walking into their store was a welcome thing.  
  
"Welcome to Palouchi's sir. How may I help you?" the man asked Darien.  
  
"I'd like to buy that diamond engagement ring in the window." Darien replied.  
  
"The marquis surrounded in diamonds and white gold or the one we affectionately refer to as the planetary ring with the marquis surrounded by gemstones in a decorative gold band with the rose and crescent moon?"  
  
"The second one. That one is perfect for my girlfriend. Somehow it seems to describe her just right. I saw that one and I knew I had to give it to her."  
  
"An excellent choice sir."  
  
The salesman went to the window display case and pulled out the ring. Ten minutes later with the transaction complete and the ring nestled in a perfect blue velvet box Darien left the jewelry store.  
  
********  
  
Twenty minutes after Darien had left the jewelry store the salesman was visited by another young man looking to purchase an engagement ring. Max walked into the jewelry store and looked around for a few minutes before approaching the salesman. The salesman could tell Max was nervous and uncertain about making his purchase.  
  
"Is there something I can help you with sir?" the salesman asked Max.  
  
"Yes. I'd like to purchase an engagement ring for someone but I'm not certain if she'll accept it or not. I know I love her but I don't know if she even likes jewelry." Max told him.  
  
The salesman knew Max would be right for the other engagement ring on display in the second window case. Taking the ring out of the case he showed it to Max.  
  
"This one would be perfect to give to your girl. It has a marquis cut diamond surrounded by several smaller diamonds and a band of white gold in a yellow gold setting." He said describing the ring.  
  
Max took one look at the ring and knew Miriya would like it very much.  
  
"I'll take it." He told the salesman.  
  
After the transaction had been completed Max walked out of the jewelry store with ring in hand and a smile on his face ready to plan exactly how he was going to propose to a woman who had very little knowledge of the concept of love.  
  
********  
  
The three former spies were miserable back on Breetai's ship. They had tasted what the micronian life had to offer and were hooked. Living on the SDF1 Rico, Bron, and Konda had learned what a life away from constant war had to offer them. The three Zentreadi had learned about the only singing sensation on the SDF1, Minmei, and brought back her CD and something to play it in. They had even brought back Minmei related dolls and picture books. The spies explained what it meant to be members of an actual fan club.  
  
The three former spies not only idolized Minmei but they also fell in love with the stories of Sailor Moon and her friends. The only bookstore in Macross had every single issue of the Sailor Moon manga and all the Sailor Moon novels depicting her adventures against the forces of evil. The spies had even purchased a Sailor V video game set to show the others as well.  
  
The other members of the Zentreadi military weren't all that impressed with Minmei. They admitted she had a nice voice but didn't care for the music she sang all that much. It was the Sailor Moon books and the Sailor V video game that had them wanting more. They knew that if they somehow were to get onto the SDF1 they would meet Sailor Moon, the Scouts, The fabled Tuxedo Mask, and his generals. The small group of Zentreadi Scout fanatics had decided right then and there that they were going to defect from the Zentreadi army and see if the Micronians would take them in and live their lives the way Sailor Moon said in peace and harmony with no more fighting.  
  
Of course the spies had no idea the person who was actually Sailor Moon was on the SDF1. They believed that Sailor Moon was a made up person. It was the other Zentreadi who believed Sailor Moon was real and they wanted to meet the girl depicted in the books. What they didn't realize was that the girl depicted in the books and the woman on the ship was not the same person.  
  
********  
  
Roy had returned from physical therapy when he was greeted with the sight of the smiling face of one Claudia Grant. Claudia had her schedule changed so her break would take place after Roy had his physical therapy for the day. She wanted to spend as much time as she could with Roy doing all the things couples were supposed to do. And like Rick and Lisa Claudia and Roy would watch movies, listen to music, and just talk. Claudia had gotten Roy up to date on the latest talk around the SDF1. She told him about the mysterious young woman Max Sterling had been seen with and how they first met at the game parlor after hearing the story from Mina.  
  
"Who'd have thought that quiet recruit would go off and get himself a girlfriend." Roy commented while eating what was supposed to be lunch.  
  
"Well from what the others have told me he seems to be a lot happier lately." Claudia said.  
  
"I'm just surprised no one has convinced her to sign up for the next round of training."  
  
"From what Mina has told me Serena has her eye on this mystery woman but she won't approach her just yet. I think Serena is waiting for something to happen first before approaching her with the idea of joining the RDF. But what it is I have no clue."  
  
"Tuskino has a good head on her shoulders. I'm certain she knows exactly what it is she's waiting for. And when the time comes she'll make her move."  
  
Claudia smiled at Roy. He was usually right about these things. Roy was a good observer and a very good judge of character. If he came to a conclusion about a person he met chances were ninety-nine percent of the time he was right about them. And this time he had hit the nail square on the head.  
  
********  
  
A month had come and gone since the captain and Lisa had it out with Admiral Hayes. The threat to use the Grand Cannon on the Zentreadi and the SDF1 was nothing more than just that, a threat. The SDF1 had spent the month in peace with very little attacks made by the Zentreadi fleet. No one knew what the Zentreadi were up to this time but they were glad the gigantic aliens were not attacking the SDF1. With the break in action Henry Gloval could concentrate on the current task at hand trying to get the RDF and the Zentreadi to agree to sit down and talk to one another. The only way the war was going to end was if the two sides actually began to hammer out a peace agreement.  
  
Upon the advice of his top female pilot Captain Gloval was in a long waiting game. He was waiting for some event to take place. But what this event was and how it would affect events that would follow it was something only Serena Tuskino seemed to have any clue on. The young pilot seemed to be wise for her years. Gloval knew that had to do with her prior life as the princess of an alien culture. It seemed to him there were times when she was pulling from those experiences. At times he didn't know whether she was acting like a lieutenant in the RDF or a princess from an ancient kingdom.  
  
"This is getting us nowhere. Hopefully something will happen soon. And hopefully it'll be the event Lt. Tuskino spoke about during our meeting last month. At least the Zentreadi have seemed to stop attacking us for the time being." Gloval thought aloud as he looked over the latest reports.  
  
********  
  
The month that had seemed to drag on forever for the members of the RDF seemed that way to the Zentreadi as well. Ever since Breetai and Exedore returned to the Solar system Khyron and Azonia began acting strange. And ever since the former spies made their report the men under Breetai's command had been acting strange as well. There was talk amongst some of the men to go into the micronization chambers and shrink down in size in order to defect from the Zentreadi military and live their lives like the Micronians. But at the moment that's all it was, talk. Not a single man in the military acted upon the talk.  
  
Exedore stood before Breetai as he presented his commanding officer with the monthly report. With a ship full of females under their command Breetai was faced with a new set of problems to deal with. The female version of Khyron was very headstrong and wanted to do things her way on her terms. Azonia didn't like not having a position of command within the military. At one time she had been on equal yet separate terms with Breetai. Now since the commander's return to the Solar system she was under him in the chain of command. And Azonia hated every moment of it.  
  
"Lord Breetai word from the other ships under your command is that the men have become restless and in need of new challenges. If we do not find the protoculture that the Micronians have on board the vessel they call the SDF1 then the talks of defection may become a reality." Exedore reported.  
  
"They can talk all they want but the fact remains that if they were to defect then there would be no place for them to go. They would be killed by the Micronians and their military machines the moment they tried to go to them in peace. The only course of action available to us is to attack the SDF1 on a grand scale. We need to send them a message; one that tells the Micronians we will not back down until they hand over their protoculture." Breetai replied.  
  
"But the men in the same unit as the three spies we sent to the SDF1 are refusing to follow orders. They would rather sneak on board the SDF1 and risk death then to fight in the war with the Micronians ever again. All this talk came about because they were exposed to the tales of the Micronians who call themselves Sailor Moon and Sailor V."  
  
"Then we shall find this Sailor Moon and this Sailor V and kill them before the eyes of all the Zentreadi and the Micronians. We shall make examples out of those two Micronians that the Zentreadi military will not back down. Prepare a council with Khyron and Azonia. It's time we put an end to the SDF1 once and for all."  
  
"As you command my lord."  
  
The slightly smaller Zentreadi left the command room and went to prepare for the videoconference between Breetai and his two-squad commanders. Breetai was in hot water with Lord Dolza. The second chance he was given to retrieve the Protoculture from the Micronians was his last chance with the Zentreadi high commander. It was all or nothing for him now.  
  
********  
  
Darien looked at the ring he had purchased for Serena. This was going to be a very big step for the Earth prince. For the first time in his life Darien was going to ask Serena to spend the rest of her life together with him. Darien knew the time was right. And with the way things were going he wanted to marry her as soon as they could. Darien could also tell that Serena wanted to get married now too. Ever since she had mentioned the proposal Captain Gloval had laid out for her Darien could tell Serena didn't want to wait for the great event that would bring about their reign as king and queen to get married.  
  
Walking down the corridor to Serena's quarters so he could ask her out on the perfect date Darien placed the ring box into the pocket of his hideous green jacket. Darien, like the rest of the Lunar Squad, was off for the rest of the day and had changed into his civvies. Unfortunately for Darien his civvies included the horrible green blazer that he had since he was eighteen. He knew Serena didn't like the jacket but it was the first dress item Darien was able to purchase with his own money after leaving the orphanage and she knew how much sentimental value it had for him so she never said a bad word about the green frock. Someday I may have to get a new jacket but for now this is all I have, Darien thought as he reached the door to Serena's quarters.  
  
Darien knocked on the door to Serena's room and waited a few moments for her to answer. Serena came to the door dressed in a simple white a line skirt ending three inches above the knee, a white cotton camisole, and a sheer pink sweater with white sandals. At Serena's feet was Luna her feline guardian and advisor. Luna looked up at Darien and smiled at the same time Serena smiled at the man she loved.  
  
"You're looking quite well this evening." Darien commented.  
  
"Why thank you. You look nice too Darien." Serena reciprocated trying very hard to not say anything bad about the green jacket.  
  
"And what brings you by this evening?" Luna wondered.  
  
"Well, I happened to have reservations for dinner tonight and wanted to take Serena out for a bite to eat and then maybe a walk in the park." Darien said.  
  
"I'd love to Darien. Just let me grab my bag." Serena replied.  
  
A few moments later Serena reappeared at the door with a small white woven backpack purse and a huge smile on her face. Serena could tell something big was going to happen that night and she was going to be a part of it.  
  
********  
  
Max Sterling knew the time was right to pop the question. He had the perfect date planned for Miriya and him. They were going to a nice small little French bistro and then he would walk her back to the hostel where she was staying. Hopefully between the desert and the door Max would pop the question. Walking to the hostel Max rehearsed all the ways he would tell Miriya how much she meant to him and how much he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.  
  
"Miriya I've never met another girl like you. No that sounds too cliché. I need to make it something she'll never forget. Then again she is a Zentreadi so she'll remember whatever I tell her." Max thought aloud as he tried to come up with the perfect proposal.  
  
Max took a deep breath and tried a different way of beginning the proposal.  
  
"Miriya I know you don't really understand the concept of love and I was hoping you'd let me teach you all about love. No, no, no that won't work. I have to tell her she's beautiful but how do you do that when she has no concept of what beauty is. I guess all I have to do is say whatever is in my heart when the time is right." Max said as he reached the hostel.  
  
Miriya owned only one dress. Being a member of the Zentreadi military Miriya grew up wearing the same uniform each and every day for as long as she could remember. The dress was a simple pale green linen sheath with a single white mother of pearl button in the back. Topped off with ivory colored heels and a simple string of pearls it made her look stunning. At first Miriya called the dress her dinner reservation uniform but after two straight weeks of dating it simply became her usual dress. Miriya stopped thinking of the clothes she had as uniforms and started thinking of them as something to wear.  
  
Max walked into the lobby of the hostel and saw Miriya sitting on one of the couches waiting for Max to arrive. Looking up at the front door Miriya smiled when she saw Max walk into the hostel. Max soon smiled back at Miriya and quickly gave himself the once over before going over to her. The camel colored pants, brown linen long sleeved button shirt, and brown leather oxfords were perfect without a single wrinkle or smudge. Heading over to Miriya Max offered her his hand and helped her up from the couch.  
  
"Ready to go Miriya?" Max asked her.  
  
"As ready as I'll ever be." She replied, "Where are we going?"  
  
"I thought I'd take you to this little French bistro I know of. They have the best crème brulee on the entire ship and maybe even the entire known universe. But that's just my opinion."  
  
"Sounds like it's going to be an interesting evening."  
  
The young couple then left the hostel and headed towards the bistro and what would be the night that would change everything.  
  
********  
  
Darien led Serena through the streets of Macross to the small outdoor café. The young couple chuckled at the thought of anything being considered outdoors and walked into the small building that housed the kitchen, hostess stand, bar, and a few tables. Darien checked in with the hostess before they were shown to their table on the outside of the café. Once seated the couple then looked over their menus.  
  
"Hmm, I think I'll try the penne con broccoli with the garlic butter sauce. And to drink I'll have a glass of the house white." Serena said before closing her menu, "What about you Darien?"  
  
Darien looked over the menu one last time before giving Serena his reply.  
  
"I'm going to give the eggplant linguine with the garlic, butter, prosciutto and pea sauce a try. And I'll have the cabernet with it." Darien replied.  
  
A few moments later the server came to the table and took their orders and while they waited for their food Darien and Serena sat at the small table just being a couple. The pair talked about this and that giggling at an inside joke every so often. Serena would finger the small pink stone Darien had given her years ago and would sigh in blissful content as she gazed lovingly at the man she loved.  
  
When the meal had arrived Serena and Darien stopped talking long enough to eat. Using every ounce of her restraint and manners Serena took her time eating. She wanted the night to go perfectly for Darien. She knew he had something planned for the evening and Serena didn't want to ruin it for him. As they continued to eat Serena became aware of the people passing by the café commenting on how beautiful a couple they were. The comments caused Serena to look up from her meal and smile at Darien with all the love in her heart. Darien saw the smile on her face and returned it with just as much love.  
  
After fifteen minutes of eating the main course the sever returned and removed their plates. Three minutes after that the server returned to the table.  
  
"Would either of you care for an espresso or some desert after your meal?" he asked them as he handed them the small after dinner menu.  
  
"I'll have the tiramisu cheesecake and an espresso please. And bring two forks." Serena ordered knowing Darien would just have the coffee and maybe a taste or two of her desert.  
  
"I'll just have the espresso and the check please." Darien added.  
  
The server left after writing down their after dinner orders and returned five minutes later with the cheesecake, the forks, the espressos, and the check. While Darien took care of the bill Serena began eating the coffee and ladyfinger flavored cheesecake. Darien then picked up the other fork and took a few bites of the cake leaving the rest for Serena to eat. With the bill taken care of and the cake and coffee finished the young couple left the café to move on to the next phase of their date.  
  
********  
  
Max and Miriya sat down inside the small bistro and began looking over the menu. Every so often before the garcon would come to the table to get their orders Miriya would look up at Max. Her face was highlighted by the soft glow of the candlelight giving her an almost angelic quality to her face. Max would smile at her and then Miriya would reciprocate his smile in an awkward yet sincere manner. He could tell the former Zentreadi pilot was still trying to understand the feelings she was experiencing and how they fit into the context of the date. Max didn't mind that Miriya didn't understand what to do. In fact, he wanted to help her learn and discover human emotions and what human life was like.  
  
Looking at Miriya smiling stiffly at him Max thought back to the dream he had after the first date they ever had. Sure the Crionnacht was crowded and noisy but to him the only person in the entire pub was Miriya. Maybe I should have taken her there, he thought, no this seems right. Smiling back Max knew that Miriya was the woman in his dreams. The dream the night of his first date brought forth an entire month of similar dreams all with Miriya in them. Max wondered if Miriya had been having the same kind of dreams he had been but quickly put that out of his mind and focused exclusively on Miriya.  
  
"I don't know what to eat here and the list is in some sort of strange language." Miriya told Max.  
  
Max smiled at Miriya and reminded himself that she wouldn't have had any exposure to French food or the French language. Having taken the language in high school Max could at least read the menu and speak some basic conversational French.  
  
"That's right you don't know about the French language. Don't worry I'll find us something good to eat and I'll make certain we have the full traditional meal." Max said in a reassuring tone.  
  
Max looked over the menu one last time before the garcon came to the table to take their order. The garcon was a man in his late twenties who was most definitely French dressed in a white oxford shirt, black pants, black shoes, and a long black apron.  
  
"Bonjour my name is Pierre your garcon. Are you ready to place your order?" he said.  
  
"Yes we are." Max replied.  
  
"And will monsieur be making the order for the mademoiselle as well?"  
  
"Yes I am."  
  
"Alright then go ahead with the order."  
  
"We'll start off with two orders of the melted Epoisses over leeks, then have two orders of the Parisian salad, then we'll have two orders of tartiflette, and then for dessert we'll have two orders of the crème brulee. And to drink we'll have the house Chardonnay."  
  
"A very fine choice sir."  
  
The garcon took the menus and walked back to the kitchen to place to order. While the couple waited for the meal they began talking about their respective careers as pilots.  
  
"So Miriya what made you decide to become a pilot?" Max asked her.  
  
"When I was younger I was tested by the elders to see exactly what my genetic makeup would allow me to do. I tested high and was placed in the battlepod-training program. I got a certain satisfaction from flying in the pods. Never once from the time I was created to the time I came to this star system with my lady had I been in the same room as a male. In the Zentreadi society everyone is in the military. Even if you are a simple doctor or a scientist you are in the military. Males and females are trained separately from one another and close contact with the opposite gender is strictly forbidden." Miriya explained.  
  
Max took in what she had told him and began to believe that life for the Zentreadi soldier was a lonely one. When he first started dating Miriya he saw a ridged emotionless individual but the more time he spent with her the more she changed into a vibrant alive person much like the Miriya in his dreams.  
  
"And what about you Max? What is your tale?" she asked him.  
  
"Well, for a while I was attending school and volunteering at the local rec. center as a tutor for the younger kids on the island. Then when the attack took place I volunteered to help clean up and rebuild and still found time to help out at the rec. center. But when I saw that I could do more good by defending the people of Macross I decided to join the second wave of training. I tested quite high for the flight program and despite my slight vision problem they let me train as a fighter pilot. I think it had to do with the fact that I was the top student in my recruiting class. I've always been around females my entire life but I've never been in love until now." Max told her.  
  
********  
  
Rick and Lisa were on yet another date. Instead of eating in at Lisa's or going to the movies the young couple had decided to spend their night at the park. They had ordered bento boxes from the local Japanese market and were having a picnic for two. The couple enjoyed simple little dates where they could just be together and talk about things that were not related to the war. This time they were discussing local events that had taken place in the city that week.  
  
"Did you hear about the rec. center model racer derby this year?" Rick asked Lisa.  
  
"No did something interesting happen?" Lisa wondered.  
  
"Yeah turns out Amara's and Michelle's foster daughter Hotaru was entered in the thing and won it by the closest margin ever in the High School division."  
  
"I didn't know little Hotaru was into model racers."  
  
"Yeah took me by surprise when Amara came into the ready room for the weekly meeting boasting how her daughter had followed in her footsteps as a race car driver even if it was just a model."  
  
"It's good to see her taking part in those sort of events."  
  
Lisa had heard all about how Hotaru had been quite sick when she was younger and was prone to attacks. At first when she heared the stories she didn't know the real reason why. But once she learned about Serena and the others being Scouts and she herself being a member of the Silver Alliance she found out the real reason why. Hotaru had once been the host for an evil alien creature and keeping her in the young girl's body had left her weak.  
  
"From what I understand she went through a lot as a kid." Rick commented.  
  
"It must be tough loosing a parent and then seeing another one have a mental breakdown and become self absorbed in his work." Lisa added.  
  
"Yeah it's a good thing she has Amara and Michelle in her life."  
  
********  
  
Serena and Darien strolled through the park taking in the sites and the sounds of the city. As they walked in the direction of the rose garden the couple noticed Rick and Lisa sitting on a bench eating out of a pair of bento boxes. They were laughing and smiling and having a grand old time. Serena smiled when she saw the couple. It was good to see her younger brother, even if she only thought it applied to the Lunar Kingdom, truly happy for a change instead of being hurt and rejected by Minmei. Lisa was right for Rick and Rick was right for Lisa.  
  
"Those two deserve to be happy just like us." Serena commented.  
  
"Yes they do." Darien said wrapping his arm around Serena's waist.  
  
The couple reached the rose garden a few moments later and stopped in front of a small stone bench just big enough for two. Serena sat down while Darien went off to one of the rose bushes and pulled off a perfect long stem rose. Darien returned to the bench and presented the rose to Serena.  
  
"The perfect rose for the perfect woman." Darien said as he presented the rose.  
  
"Darien." Serena replied as she took the rose from him.  
  
Darien then sat down on the bench next to Serena. Looking at his girlfriend Darien knew this was the time to pop the question and give her the ring. Serena looked perfect as she smelled the fragrance of the delicate pink blossom. Taking a deep breath Darien began his speech.  
  
"Serena, you and I have known each other for almost ten years and during that time we've been through a lot. At first we didn't quite hit it off. We argued and fought with one another. But then something happened and we discovered who and what we truly were. It was then that I first realized I loved you. Not because of what we once had but because of what I saw in you and what you were doing to me. You changed me and for that I thank you." Darien said, "But then it all came crashing down when I was taken from you and brainwashed against you. The others began to give up on me but you didn't. You never gave up on me. You believed I had a chance to return to the person I once was. You saved me once more when you fought Beryl and her evil mistress Queen Metalia.  
  
"Ever since then we were inseparable we handled all the ups and downs life threw at us together. We even faced your father together. And four years ago we made the choice to defend the world not as Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask but as Serena Tuskino and Darien Shields. It was then we became members of the RDF. Our lives changed once more two years later when the Zentreadi first appeared on the Earth. We were thrown headfirst into a war none of us had any control over. We have handled things the only way we knew how the best we could. Our love has only become stronger over the years.  
  
"That is why I wanted to be with you tonight. I wanted to share my love for you. And I wanted to give you something to show you how much you mean to me. You see I can't imagine my life without you in it. I love you Serena Tuskino. Not just because you're beautiful but because of all the little things you do. You complete me Serena you make me whole. And that's why I want you to have this."  
  
Darien reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring he purchased for her. Opening the box he showed it to Serena. Serena's eyes lit up when she saw the perfect marquis cut stone surrounded by the gemstones. Looking up at Darien Serena waited for what was to come next.  
  
"Serena this ring represents our love for one another the moon, the rose, and the eight perfect gems. When I saw it in the display case I knew I had to get it for you. But with this ring comes something else. If you accept this ring then you accept me too. Serena Tuskino I love you with all my heart. Will you accept my ring and me and become my wife? Will you marry me?" Darien asked her.  
  
Serena looked at the ring and then looked at Darien. It only took her one- minute to make up her mind. There was no question about it she wanted to be with Darien for the rest of her life.  
  
"Yes Darien I'll marry you." Serena said with a smile on her face and a tear of joy in her eye.  
  
Darien then slipped the delicate ring upon Serena's finger before pulling her into a passionate kiss amongst the roses.  
  
********  
  
Max and Miriya had finished their crème brulee, paid the bill, and were now on their way back to the hostel. Max had wanted the time to be right for him to propose to Miriya. Hearing her stories of the Zentreadi life Max knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life learning all he could about her and her culture but he also knew he would have to tell the captain she was on board the SDF1. This was a dilemma Max had not expected to come up when he first started dating her. Miriya was everything Max could ever want in a woman. She was smart, strong, beautiful, and a very good pilot. Miriya was a female version of Roy Fokker and much more. Max was hooked on her from the moment he first laid eyes on her.  
  
When the couple reached the door to the hostel Max took a deep breath and felt the box in his pocket. The time was perfect for him to ask Miriya to marry him.  
  
"Miriya I know we haven't known each other for very long but in the short time we have I have fallen in love with you. You are everything I could ever want in a woman. You're smart, strong, beautiful, and an incredible pilot. I know some of these concepts are foreign to you but I want to help you discover them. I want to show you what love and emotions are all about. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. And usually when a human male feels this way he asks the human female he loves to marry him." Max said, "When two people marry they make a promise in front of a group of witnesses to stay together for the rest of their lives. I want to make that promise with you Miriya. I want to marry you. Will you take me and my ring and become my bride? Will you marry me?"  
  
Miriya thought about what Max had said. To her being married sounded like a mission one wanted to take. Miriya wanted to take that mission. Even though she had no clue about married life and love Miriya wanted Max to be the one to teach her all about it.  
  
"Yes I will accept your offer to spend the rest of our lives together and discover what love is together." Miriya told Max accepting the proposal.  
  
Max smiled at Miriya and then placed the simple marquis cut diamond ring upon her finger. The ring was the first piece of jewelry Miriya had ever owned outside of the fresh water pearls she found at a junk sale for a modest price. Once the ring was on the finger Max pulled Miriya close to him and kissed her upon the lips. A few minutes later the young couple broke the kiss and Miriya went inside the hostel leaving a very happy Max outside. When the door was closed Max left the hostel and took the long way home through the park.  
  
********  
  
Elsewhere in the middle of the city the youngest of the four Earth generals was looking for his comrades to tell them what he had seen in the window of a local jewelry store. He'd been all over Macross City until he came upon his ice princess Amy Mizuno.  
  
"Amy! Hey Amy over here I got something to tell you!" He said waving her down.  
  
"Boy lover what's got you in such a bend?" Amy grinned when she saw the reaction to what she had just called him on his face.  
  
For a few minutes he was lost on cloud nine until he remembered what he wanted to tell her. "Oh yeah! Anyway guess what I just saw a little while ago?" Zack asked her.  
  
"Zack I'm sorry but I'm not a mind reader!" Amy frowned.  
  
"Sorry love! Well here goes, I saw Darien buying an engagement ring at a local jewelry store earlier today!" He said with a huge grin on his face.  
  
"Our Darien? The Prince of all Earth?" Amy asked looking dumb struck.  
  
"Yes our Darien the prince of Earth!" Zack said holding her around the waist.  
  
"Wow we got to tell the others!" Amy said.  
  
"Shhh! Amy I think this is something that we should let Darien and Serena tell the others don't you think? I mean I'm sure I really wasn't suppose to know either! So perhaps we should let them tell us all later okay?" Zack said.  
  
"You know everyday you just keep reminding me why I love you so much!" Amy said as she reached up and kissed him passionately on the lips.  
  
After braking apart he looked into her eyes and said, "I love you too Amy, I love you too!"  
  
******  
  
Darien and Serena had left the rose garden to continue their walk through the park. Arm in arm the couple was absolutely glowing. Serena rested her head upon Darien's shoulder and sighed a contented sigh every few seconds. Darien would look down at Serena and smile at her knowing that she was going to be his wife. Walking down the park path the couple took note of who was out that evening. Amongst the couples and families out that evening Rick and Lisa were still in the park on their bench and one Max Sterling was strolling down the path smiling as though he were on cloud nine.  
  
Serena and Darien soon found themselves face to face with Max. The trio happened to stop on a path not too far from where Rick and Lisa were currently involved in a serious lip lock. Serena looked at Max and smiled at him. The lunar princess knew something big had just happened for her fellow pilot.  
  
"Hey Max what's up?" Serena asked him.  
  
"Guys I'm getting married." Max replied with a big goofy grin.  
  
"So are we." Serena told him as she showed off her ring.  
  
"She's a Zentreadi." Max said as though he hadn't heard a word Serena told him.  
  
"She's a what!" Serena and Darien questioned him.  
  
"She's a Zentreadi. She's a pilot and she's the most amazing person I've ever met." Max explained to them.  
  
Serena knew the captain would have to hear of the current development. This was the event Serena had been waiting forever since their meeting a month ago. With the wheels in motion Serena knew she had to put the second phase of this groundbreaking historic event into action. And she was about to do just that.  
  
"Max I think the captain needs to know about this. You're about to marry a Zentreadi woman that no one else knew was on the ship until now. You can either keep this information to yourself or you can tell the captain. If you tell the captain about this you two could help bring an end to this war. But if you don't then the war may drag on for who knows how long. It's your choice and I won't like you any less if you choose the latter." Serena told him.  
  
Having overheard the conversation Rick and Lisa came over to the trio. They had to agree with what Serena had said. Max needed to go to the captain and tell him about his fiancé.  
  
"Serena is right Max. You need to tell the captain about your fiancé. He needs to know. In fact, the RDF Command needs to know too. Not because she's the enemy and should be locked up but because maybe they will finally see that we can live in peace with the Zentreadi." Lisa said.  
  
"I agree with her Max you need to tell the captain about her." Rick added.  
  
"But whatever you decide we'd love to meet the girl you deem worthy to be your future bride." Serena said with a smile.  
  
"Thanks you just made my decision easier to make." Max told them.  
  
"Okay good well if you'll excuse us Serena and I have some friends who will most assuredly need to know about our upcoming wedding!" Darien told the other couples.  
  
"Max if you want in the morning we could accompany you when you go before the captain since it is late and he is asleep by now!" Serena told him as Darien began to wrap his arm around her to pull her towards their destination knowing their friends would all be awake still.  
  
"Thank you guys!" Max said watching them go.  
  
"Well we better go too Max, Lisa has her shift in the morning and I'd like to have my girl refreshed so no one thinks I'm out to destroy her reputation as a hardcore commander!" Rick said earning him a playful gab from Lisa.  
  
"Yeah he's right we really should be heading home! But Serena's right too! If you need Rick and I shall also be there for you as well!" Lisa said as she walked off dragging Rick with her by the hands.  
  
"See you guys tomorrow!" Max waved as he too walked back to his dorm.  
  
To Be Continued!  
  
Okay people now we have ourselves a little fun! According to my buddy Chibi Halo Minmei will soon be making reappearance! At someone's wedding! Whose is it and why is she there stay tuned and we'll show you! Also what will our newly engaged Prince and Princess's friends and family say? Well we can't tell you that yet as Sailor Pluto would say:  
  
"We are not meant to know our own future!"  
  
Okay so this is their but still Chibi Halo and I have to have a little fun! Chibi Halo and I shall have the next part out real soon! Until then Goodbye! 


End file.
